The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-16 00:00:00

ENGINEER'S REPORT.

" Gentlemen—Since the last half-yearly meeting the
portion of the Wilts and Somerset railway from Thing-
ley to Trowbridge and Westbury having been opened
for public traffic, I have only to report that no expendi-
ture that could be avoided or postponed has been in-
curred upon further works. Upon the Basingstoke
Branch of the Berks and Hants Railway which has also
been opened, the stations are completed, and the perma-
nent way is in good working order. The top ballasting
and surface forming (the only works not quite finished)
have been proceeded with as rapidly as the proper con-
solidation of the road way has allowed, and will be per-
fected in a few weeks. On the Hungerford line the ar-
rangements for goods traffic at the various stations, so far
as they appear to be required, have been finished. The
works of the line, the permanent way, and the station
buildings, are all in very good order. On the Oxford
and Rugby Railway, the rate of progress has been very
limited during the winter. Such works as have been exe-
cuted have been arranged with a view to affording facilities
for future proceedings by closing in embankments,
which had been nearly completed, and by opening up
such cuttings as will afford a supply of ballast, or
through which ballast has to be carried to other parts
of the line. Several bridges and apppoache3 for turn-
pike and other public roads have been constructed and
opened to the public ; and most of the river bridges,
commenced during last summer and autumn, have been
finished to the ballast level. Between Oxford and Ban-
bury, a distance of about twenty-four miles, ten miles
of the line are ballasted, and ready for permanent way;
and seven miles more aro formed and ready for ballast;
the works on the remainder are comparatively light.
Between Banbury and Fenny Compton—the junction
with the Birmingham and Oxford Railway, a distance
of I miles—about five miles of the line are formed
and partially ballasted, while the earthwork of a
further portion extending to Clayton—about two
miles—is nearly completed. The cutting at Fenny
Compton, and the embankments beyond, leading
to the junction with the Birmingham and Oxford
are in progress. Nothing has been done between Eeney
Compton and Rugby. Upon the Birmingham and Ox-
ford Railway, the works have proceeded slowly during the
winter: the principal viaduct and the heaviest of the
earthworks were, however, previously in a forward state.
The works of the Windsor Branch are in very active
progress. The plan adopted for the construction of the
river-bridge, and the adjoin viaduct, has enabled us to
proceed without any interruption from the floods. The
unusual amount of wet weather, which has now pre-
vailed for so many months, has severely tried the earth-
work and permanent way of the new lines, and even of
the old works, but I am happy to say that no serious
damage has anywhere occurred; and that the working
of the lines has been maintained in good order, and in
perfect safety, and with as little or less ►nterruption to
the regularity of the trains than during any previous
winter.—l am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
" I. K. BRUNEI.

" 18, Duke-street, Westminster, Feb. 12, 1849."
The adoption of the report having been moved and
seconded, an animated discussion followed, in which a
variety of topics connected with the accounts, the branch
lines in course of construction, the economical working of
trains, the principles on which fares should be regulated,
the safety and stability of the permanent way, and various
other topics connected with the interests and manage-
ment of the railway were made the subjects of comment
on the part of the proprietors, and of detente in explana-
tion by the directors and officers of the company. By many
of the proprietors it was urged that the general conduct
of the company's affairs was extravagant ; that too many
trains were run upon the line; that the speed of the ex-
press trains especially, was needlessly great, and danger-
ous to the solidity of the permanent way; that the return
ticket system ought not to have been done away with in
the local traffic; and that the direction wanted an infusion
of new blood into it by the admission of fresh members.
The directors concurred in the necessity for an economi-
cal
administration of the company's affairs, and assured
Eh,' meeting that, at the earliest opportunity, Mr. Cross-
e of their auditors, in whose zeal for their interests
they express(d confidence, should have a seat at the
board off,-red to him.
An amendment, proposed by Mr. STANFORD, having
for its object the investigation
trs of the company's affairswith a view for the
by a committee of proprietors,
pur-
poses of retrenchment, was withdrawn in consequence of
the turn which the discussion to., k.
The report was then unanimously adopted, after which
resolutions were passed approving o. f the aividend of 3
per cent. for the half year; authorising the creation of
10,000 501. preference shares of the Berks and Hants
Railway, and the 81100=1 of so oisnY Of them among