The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-11 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN.

We have been requested to insert the copy of the
letter written by the secretary of the Great Western
Riilway Company, which was referred to in the retort
of the meeting of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton Company held at Worcester on the Bth inst.:—
(Copy.)
"Great Western Railway, Paddington, June 5.
"My dear Sir,—l have been desired to acquaint you
that the Great Western directors who were appointed
under the provisions of your Act of Incorporation to ba
director-5 of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton
Company, have been requested by this board not to at-
tend the special meting of your proprietc:rs on the 841
instant.

"Although. the beard had not the opportunity of
seeing the report to be presented to that meeting, they
learn that the subject for the consideration of the share-
holders relates to the agreement for the lease of the rail-
Ivey to this company, upon which question (under a
proviso in clause 13 of the Act) the Great Weatern
Company are specifically precluded from exercising the
right of voting. The board considers, therefore, that
the directors will not only comply with the spirit of that
restriction more effectually by declining to attend the
meeting, but that they will leave themselves more free
and unembarrassed hereafter to adopt any course which
they may deem right and necessary for the protection of
the interests of this company.
"I am desired to request that this communication
:may be read to the proprietors of the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton Company assembled at the
special meeting, and that they may be informed that
this board are quite prepared to establish that they have
never held out the idea of giving a guarantee for ari
unlimited amount of expenditure, but, on the contrary,
have uniformly, upon every occasion, refused to do so;
that they specifically limited the sum not to exceed
2 500,0001. RS a maximum, and have never, directly or
indirectly, permitted any one to entertain the idea of an
extension beyond that sum. The directors are con-
vinced that they can s ais'actorily prove before any dis-
interested tribunal that they have acted throughout with
the most scrupulous good faith in every negotiation and
eagago.ment with your company.
"I remain. my dear sir.
" Yours very faithfully,
CEIA.I4LES A. bAUNDERS, Secretary.
" To Thomas Noel Smith, Esq.,
Secretary of the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton
Company."

THE RAILWAYS AND 'UBE CARRIERS.
On Saturday a cl,,putvtion, c,nsiving of the most in-
fluential carritrri, had an interview with the Railway
Commist=ioners, at the Board of Trade, on the sutject
the opPres,ive charges of the railway companies and
the conduct pursued by them towards traders and
carriers.

The commissioners present were the Right Hon. H.
Labeuchere (chairman), Earl Granville, the R'ght
Hon. Sir Edward lilac, and the secretary, Captain
Harness.

The deputation were accompanied by Messrs. Lewis
and Nash, the Parliamentary agents.
Mr. NASH said he had the honour to appear on be
half of a large and influential body of traders and car-
riers. He had also to present to the board petitions
from Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Klinburgh, Shef-
field, Coventry, Newcastle, Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow,
rind other places. The petitioners complained of the
oppressive conduct and charges of railway companies
towards traders and carriers, that the companies treated
them differently from the rest of the public, and resorted
to illegal and improper charges, in order to defeat fair
competition; that the railway companies had endea-
voured to prevent traders from packing small parcels in
one, as always was dune under the old system, for the be
nefit of their customers, in order that they ruightget every
small parcel carried separately, whereby they got the full
charge on each. The companies were now charging as
much for a package of small parcels as if each small
parcel were sent separately. These things were a great
hardship upon the traders and carriers. But the com-
panies did not rest here; they had, in order to injure
traders and competitors, commenced a system of de-
signedly opening, delaying, and mis-sending packed
parcels, and not delivering the contents to the customers,
to destroy carriers who compete with them on their own
line, and carry for less than the company. The existing
law, and the clauses introduced into the Railway Act.
did not affird sufficient protection, whilst the companies
have the administration of the statutes, and the public
had no other course but to resort to a court of law,
which was not only dilatory, but insufficient to meet the
abuses of which the deputation complained. A case oc-
curred a short time since, whore a carrier brought an
action against the Llndon and North-Western Railway
for overcharge, and although the plaintiff obtained a
verdict in his favour he lost upwards of 85L; in fact, the
railway companies openly assert that they do not care
for such actions. The county courts had no jurisdiction
in the matter, and therefore the traders and carriers
must either allow themselves to be overcharged, cheated,
and perhaps ruined, or resort to expensive actions.
Mr. LABOUCIIERE—What remedy would you suggest,
for no person can doubt that some remedy must be had?
Mr. NASII—The gentlemen whom I represent think
that the best plan would be to have a Parliamentary
Committee to inquire into the abuses, and point out the
remedy.

Mr. LABOUCHERE—It is too late in the session, I am
afraid, to have a Parliamentary Committee.
Mr. NASH—The traders and carriers are of opinion
that they will never be properly treated until you (lie
Board) appoint a traffic inspector on all the railways,
and also that they should be compelled to issue a printed
list of their tolls for carrying goods, and the Commis-
sioners would, therefore, be glad to learn the opinion of
the deputation on that point.
Mr. CROUCH said he could not see why there should
be any d.fficuliy. The several companies kept a list ct
charges in a book, and if he took a box or basket—say
for Birmingham or Manchester—and the ch rk forgot
what to charge, he immediately turned to his book.
Mr. HELDER said the only difficulty he saw was that
the company did not charge two persons alike; they
tr Tien, ly charged the carrier twice as mach as they
charged the private customer.
Mr. NA SU —I cannot see why there should be a list ef
charges for luggage by passenger treks, and not by
goods trains: surely one is as practicable as the other.
Mr. LABOUCHERE—Then, gentlemen, what you want
is the publication of uniform rates of charges by the
companies, and some simple machinery by which defects
in the system may be remedied.
Mr. NASH —Prcciitly su; give power to the county
courts to adjudicate.
Mr. LABOUCHERR—Of course, that would be an ob-
viously great convenience to the public if it could be
done. Tt,at would leave the existing law as at present,
with the exception that an extra provision should be
introduced, giving power to the county courts; for at
present the companies, by their Acts, are bound to pub-
lish a scale, and charge all persons equally.
Mr. NASH—I am afraid we shall never be satisfied
until we have a Government goods superintendent at
each terminus. Sir Thomas Wilde, at the recent trial
at Warwick, pointed out to the jury that the company
would drive all the carriers off the line, and then the
public would be left at the mercy of the company.
LABOUCHERE—Your case shall be taken into
consideration. It is a very important and not a very
simple subject, therefore it requires time.
The deputation then withdrew.

_BEAT bOUTHERN AND WESTERN.— In consequence
of the &AM' of the late Mr. George Carr, Mr, Edw.
.'Donnell was elected chairman of the Irish Grcat
Southern and Western Railway Company, and Mr.
Boothby, of London, was elected to succeed Mr. M‘Don-
nell, as deputy-chairman.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, JUNE 9.
STOCK EXCHANGE.— The share market continues gloomy and de-
pressed, and the transactions going forward are small, at prices pre-
viously quoted. The sal a are—Lancashire and Yorkshire, naives
(W. P.. and G.), 36—Ditto, Extension Shares, IS —Lancaster and
Preston. IA dia.— London and North-Western, 126 Ditto, New
Quarters, 2% p.-3lanchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Eighths
4%—Ditte (Great .Grintsby and Sheffield), 19%—Jlidland, halves,
11% dia.—York, Newcastle, and Berwick (G. N. B. Purchase),
3T. dia.

BIRMINGHAM., JUNE 9.
f:Tocx EXCITANCE.—The transactions to-day have teen fis follows:
—London and North-Western, 126—Birmingham and Stour Valley,
10 dis.—Shrewsbury and, Birmingham (A), 6% dis.—Shropshire
Union, 55 dis.—Midland, :New Fifties, 11% dis.
YORK, Juss 8.
STOCK EXCEANGE.—The transactions to-day have been as fol-
lows:—Great Nonhern, 10—North British, Thirds, 31. 16s. 3d.—
Ditto, Preference, 19s. 6d.—York.'Newcastie and' Berwick, 20 h
Ditto G. N. E. Purchase. 41. Is. 3d.-11aneliester Sheffield, and Lin-
colnshire, 36%—York and North Midland, Preference, 3%.
GLASGOW, JUNE 8.
STUCK EXCErANGE.—The business done in the Stock Exchange
to-day has been as follows : —Aberdeen, Preference, 855.—Dundee
and Artroath, 365—Edinburgh and Glasgow, 84—Glasgow, Dum-
fries, and (larisle, 4% —Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr, Halves (No.
l),

Preparations have commenced for the removal of
the celebrated marble arch from tho east front of
Buckingham Palace. It will be re-erected at the prin-
cipal el:attune to the Bona® 'ark at Windsor Castle.