The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-25 00:00:00

by taking advantage of the glorious wharf accommodation
which was presented to them along the Itchen, would
enable them to carry on as much trade as all the docks of
Liverpool.—(Vehement cheering.) He believed he did
not exaggerate, when he said that they were capable of ac-
commodating nearly as much trade as the whole of the
docks of London put together.—(Hear, hear.) The
Liverpool docks cost in round numbers—and he would
be set right by his friend Mr. Giles, the eminent engi-
neer, if be was mistaken—not less than between
four and five millions, while they calculated that, so far
as estimate could carry them, a million of money would
cover the whole of the ground at Southampton with docks.
—( Hear, hear.) But the difference in the result was
most extraordinary. He bad stated that they would have
as n any linear feet of dock quays as at Liverpool, but
the Liverpool system did not comprehend the plan of bond-
ing warehouses,_which was by far the most beneficial part

of the docks. So that it might fairly be assumed that they
were laying out their money, as compared with Liverpool,
in the proportion of one to eight ; or, in other words, that
their expenditure would be eight times as valuable as that
at Liverpool.—(Cheers.) The nature of the ground in
the latter port was such, that they could not combine

warehousing and dockage. In London the business was
combined ; but the cost of the London Docks, which did
not much exceed in power, for landing, shipping, and stor-
ing, the accommodation it was intended to have at South-
ampton, was enormous—he had not made an estimate, but
from a rough guess he would say that these docks must

have cost at least ten millions, and that was ten to one

in favour of the port of Southampton.—(Great cheering.)
He was sorry to have detained them so long ; but it was
evident that the present undertaking was one which offered
a reasonable hope of ample profit to those who embarked
in it. But, above all, he would add one topic which had
been so feelingly touched upon by their respected Chair-
man that day—the great saving of human life which it
was likely to produce ; and that was the paramount con-
sideration of all.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) The great
danger, as all seamen and mercantile men knew, was
between the Isle of Wight and the Thames. As
merchants, they all knew the dangers of the Mersey,
they knew that the dangers of the British Channel were
great, and that the lass of life on that coast was immense.
The port of Southampton was placed upon the sea-board
of the English Channel. He (Mr. H.) had travelled very
much over the world, and he had made inquiries of others
who had also visited other countries, and he believed that
on the face of the globe there was no situation which pre-
sented such remarkable and peculiar advantages as the port

of Southampton. In the Island of Great Britain they had
a more marked coast, more estuaries and ports than in any
other part of the world of the same extent, and not one of
these presented the same advantages as Southampton. For
these reasons the Docks had been commenced under aus-
pices sufficient to justify the application of money to the
objects they had in view, and he would, therefore, give them
" Success and prosperity to the Southampton Docks." The
toast was drunk with great enthusiasm.
The CHAIRMAN said the pleasing duty now devolved on
him of reminding them that another most extensive and im-
portant work was in a state of progress, and upon which
he for one was ready most frankly to admit the prosperity of
their Docks depended. He knew, and he regretted that
it was so, and it was a very common thing for persons to
say that the undertaking to which he alluded would pros-
per equally without the Docks as with them. He regret-
ted that such expressions had been used, for he thought
there was neither much of truth nor of sound judgment in
the declaration.—(Hear.) There was fps fact, hon ever, of
which he was assured, that it was a mo/I important national
undertaking. It was one to which he indi%iiluall3 wished
every degree of success and prosperity, and he could not
forget that that undertaking and their own were both the
fruits of one conception. It was true that fate in her ca-
price had given birth to the other at an earlier period than
their own foundling, and consequently it was more rapidly
approaching. a state of maturity; but he trusted there
would be on the present occasion but one opinion, and that
they would all join with him most cordially and most sin-
cerely in wishing the full measure of success to the Lo,:-
don and Southampton Railway.
The toast was drank with great cheering.
Mr. BARNEY, one of the Directors, having been called
upon, returned thanks. He regretted that some other
Director connected with the Company, who could much
better enter into the details of the undertaking than him-
self, had not been called upon. It appeared to him that
the two undertaking's would be productive of mutual benefit
to each other, and he believed he spoke the sentiments of
the majority of the Company, when he stated that they
were all most anxious for the prosperity of the Southampton
Docks.—(Cheers.) After some further observations, Mr.
Barney concluded by thanking them for the compliment
they had paid the Railway Company.
The CHAIRMAN wished to advert for a moment to cir-
cumstances which had transpired that day, which had im-
pressed the minds of himself and his colleagues with emo-
tions and sentiments of the most gratifying description.
There was a time when the Directors of the Southampton
Dock Company were not held in very high esteem in that
town in which they had passed so happy a day ; but they
must all rejoice that he was now speaking of times gone by
They rejoiced greatly to find that altered feeling pervading
the minds of the people of Southampton, and that they
had extended to them their right hand of fellowship with
a cordiality which they had not heretofore enjoyed. The
kindness they bad experienced that day was quite sufficient
to banish from their memories the treatment they had met
with on a former occasion ; and he took that oppor-
tunity of offering, on behalf of his colleagues and him-
self, their cordial and grateful thanks to the Worshipful
Mayor and every other member of the Corporation of
Southampton.—(Loud cheers.) They rejoiced greatly to
find that his Worship deemed them as a body worthy of
his countenance and friendly attention. Perhaps it would
not be assuming too much if he gave him credit for a con-
siderable portion of the change that had taken place.—
(Hear, hear.) Whether he was correct or not, of this he
was assured, that a total and complete alteration in the
state of public feeling had been manifested towards them
that day. The formidable opposition that formerly existed
had dwindled down to only three opponents.—(Great
cheering and laughter.) He rejoiced at this, because in
their large and beautiful town he hoped to spend many
happy days with his family ; and he rejoiced that an op-
portunity had been afforded him that day of adding to
the number of his personal acquaintances, and he hoped
he might be allowed to add to his personal friends.
On the day when the Dock-gates would be opened for the
reception of vessels, it was his intention to conic and reside
among them ; and he would not come alone, for he had
friends in distant parts of the country who felt, powerfully
and potently, the attractions of Southampton, and who had
declared that he should not enjoy a monopoly of them.—
(Laughter.) But to return to the toast. He would now
b e of them to join him with the utmost cordiality, in
drinking the health of the Worshipful Mayor and the Cor-
poratiim of Southampton.—(Mucti cheering.)
The MAYOR returned thanks. It gave him peculiar
gratification that the foundation-stone of Giese magnificent
Docks had been laid during his Mayoralty. It wns also
gratifying to him that another most important undertaking
had been opened during the same period ; and he was sure
that with her Docks and her Railway, Southampton wou d
become a town of such importance as her warmest
friends never contemplated. At one time it enjoyed
the advantages of a large export and import trade,
but that was very many years ago, and it had since shrunk
into comparative contempt and insignificance. Mr. Heath-
field had very ably pointed out to them the causes which
had operated to produce there results, but the curtain had
arisen—the foundation-stone of the Docks had been laid—
and he saw before them, what he hoped would be speedily
realized, a flood of commerce which would bring prosperity
to their town, and which would exhibit to them the flags
of a thousand nations floating in their river, and the use-
less piece of mud which the tide of ages had rolled over,
converted into something which would be beneficial to man-
kind. Their worthy Chairman, when laying the fount!a-
tion-stone, had adverted to the saving of human life which
would be effected—his sentiments did honour to him, and he
was certain that with such good and Christian feelings
their undertaking would progress, and the great God would
bless it.—(Much cheering.) The people of Southampton
owed a deep debt of gratitude to the gentlemen who were
about to carry these great objects into effect, and he there-
fore begged to propose in a full bumper, " the health of the
Chairman and the Directors of the Southampton Dock
Company."
Mr. L IGGINS returned thanks. On the part of himsel'
and his colleagues he begged to return them his most
grateful acknowledgments for the compliment that had
been paid them. He received the marks of attention with
which they had been honoured that day as an assurance of
what they might expect when he and many others like him
might become residents of their town.
The CHAIRMAN shortly afterwards rose, and observed
that the acknowledgments of the Directors and Proprietors
of the Dock Company were due to a large number of irali-
viduals, whom he had now the pleasure to see around him,
and at their head stood the Gallant Admiral on his right
hand.—(Cheers.) They felt that a considerable degree of
splendour had byewenhicandd:add by their presence, to the inte-
otnhe foundation-stone, theyr esti n
felt g ceremony
thatere m
ctocll:upeigewditthhetmhetihr aatidd,aayn;d and
as-
sistance, and co-operation,
manner than they could have done
eietnthleaidseiin a much better
not sufficiently express the gmratifivceastlon(Cthheeyerfsel!
alitethcoeugldenerous manner in which the Hon. Baronet had
stepped forward to offer his assistance on the present occa-
sion, nor could he omit returning his acknowlBolsecings, m to
the United Brethren of free and accepted
cordial manner in. which they had co-operated with him,
He trusted the time was not far distant when they should