The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-03 00:00:00

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For the purpose of description the Line may be divided
into two portions—the one extending from Derby to the
Wakefield Station at Oakenshaw, a distance of about 60
'riles, the other extending from Oakenshaw to Leeds, a
distance of about 121 miles. In the first-earned district
(that extending from Derby to Oakenshaw) the Earth-
work is nearly completed ; the quantity remaining to be
executed not exceeding in the aggregate 120,000 cubic
yards, out of the total contract quantity in this district of
nearly 8,000,000; and no single excavation now contains
more than 15,000 cubic yards. All the embankments are
completed, with the exception of Four, in none of which
do their remain to be deposited more than 7,000 cubic
yards.
The Tunnels, of which there are seven, of the aggre-
gate length of 3,800 lineal yards, are completed, with the
exception of the Tunnel Fronts and short portions of a
few yards in length adjoining the open cuttings. A single
line of Permanent Way is laid through nearly the whole j
of them.
Of the Bridges, all are either completed, or on the
point of being so.
The length of Permanent Way already laid in this dis-
trict, amounts to 88 miles of Single Way, or 44 miles of
Double Way. There is every reason to expect that in
the course of the month of April next, a Double Line
will be laid throughout the entire distance.
With regard to the Works on the Second Division, ex-
tending from Oakenshaw to Leeds, a distance of 12i
miles, the quantity of Excavation now remaining to be
executed, is about 130,000 cubic yards, nearly the whole'
of which is contained in the Oakenshaw and Altofts Con-.
tracts ; for the completion of which, the most vigorous.
means are now being had recourse to. And. as the
,Con-
tractors for these two Contracts (Mr, Joseph,Thorntorj,
for the Oakenshaw, and Mr. .Hugh '11.1.1.!00;11711111.1::.4i
Lofts Contract) are bound by their;engsements,.anirbi
the most distinct personal pledges, to coMplete their Works
by the stipulated period, it is to be hoped that the just ex-
pectations of the Company on this puint.avill be realired,
and that the feeling of disappointment Which-has hitherto
existed at the inadequacy of their exertions, will be re-
moved by the vigorous and determined character of their
operations for the future.
All the large Arches of. the Calder, Viaduct are con,-
plcted. • ' !.• .
The Leeds-Contract, Which•was let laSt *simmer, has
been carried on with much 'spirit, and there is litfle:douht.
ot its completion at an earlier period,than that at which
other portions of the Works on this 'division of the Line
trill be finished. The other Contrhcticompriseil in this"
division of the Line, with the exception of -the two above
named, are in an advanced state ; and, if -the weather
.
proves favourable, and no disappointment is Austamed as
to the progress of the Altofts and Oakenshaw Contracts,
this portion of the Line may be completed early in the
summer.

It is scarcely necessary to remark that the progress of
the Works throughout the entire Line has been very much
retarded by the unprecedented wetness of the season since
June last, and though the incessant rains have caused
several slips in the Cuttings, where previously there was
no indication of any such tendenCy ; yet, in the Embank-
ments, the effect has been decidedly useful, in causing a
more rapid consolidation than would otherwise have taken
place; and in no instance. except one, has there been any
slip of a serious character; nor have the Bridges or other
Works on the low grounds sustained any injuty from the
continued floods to which they have been exposed.
(Signed) FRED. SWANWICK.

''"General Statement of the Receipts and Disbursements to
31st December, 1639. •
Cr.
By Cash received for Calls ' El 2..1,470 0 0
By Interest on Loans, and for Shaiei in
Arrears
By Cash, in anticipation of Calls:t&
By Loans on Debenture Bonds- •
By Money on Loan - 1 f:1+11.6.41
0
By Rent of Cottac - ...
By Materials re- • •
'r ; :1"1:1•••'
• "

7,966 11 4
ii,732 0 b
710,472 11 0
65,000 0 0
134 4 0
741 1 5

£2.074.516 2

' Jewish Sabbath. He admitted that there Wes an end to
all the ceremonies and penalties of the Jew;sh Sabbath,
but he would ask, was there also to be an end ,o the
Christian Sabbath ? The question was, what was the dif-
ference between the two. In his opinion the Christian
Sabbath was the fourth commandment stripped of all its
needless circumstances.—( Hear.) He submitted that by
carrying his resolutions they would be carrying out that
declaration of our Saviour's, in which he said that " the
Sabbath was made for man." In his opinion, not only for
mankind generally, but especially for the poor man—it was
his birthright, given him as a boon by his Creator, ratified
to him by the laws of Christianity as well as by the Scrips
ture—he was entitled to rest upon that day, and no work
ought to be done, save in the excepted cases of necessity
and mercy. He placed his motion on the foundation that '
they had no right to call upon any set cf labouring men
who had toiled for them during six days of the week, to
labour also for them on the Lord's day. There appeared
a letter signed " Ariel Webb, Proprietor," in the Rail-
way Times of the 22d of February, wherein those who took
iris views upon the subject were charged with a wish to
deprive the labouring classes of any opportunity of
enjoying the pure air or seeing the beauties of natural
and rural scenery—that the wished to deprive them
of that which was the right of Wall. Nbw, it was for that
very day that he stood before them to plead, that it
should be enjoyed by the working elteses, and also by their
own labourers. He would say, let all make use of their na.e,
tural powers of bodv—enjoy the pure air or the beauties of
natural scenery, as far as possible. He did not quite agree
with the writer of that letter, for his experience as a Ma-
gistrate of-a large town led him to fear and to believe that
the majority•of tile working classes were far more prone to
enjoy contaminated air 'of a public-house, in place of
!enjoying 'either pure ail 'Or the beauties of nature. The
=metre at the course he proposed would arise, he be-
lieved, from another than the poorer class. The last, and
he feared, the strongest argument against his proposal,
was, that it might bring down upon the Company the inter-
ference Of the Legislature. But he would ask, had there
not been many instances in which the force of public opi-
nion had governed and guided Parliament itself ? What had
abolished Cabinet Councils, and Parliamentary dinners,
on Sundays, once so customary, but public opinion ? And
sot long ago,.when the Postmaster-General was about to
• order a Sunday delivery—( Cries of " No, no, it was never.l
ordered")—well, it was rumoured, and' doubtless it was
not without sonic foundation, and at all events it 'was met
by a strong demonstration of opinion on the part of the
magistrates, merchants, solicitors, clergy, and gentry a
London, which effectually prevented it; and when the
order was actually issued to Newcnitle, a similar demon-
straticn procured its retractation. Let it not be supposed
that the majority at meetings like the present could be re-
garded as indicating clearly the state of public opinion on
the subject. There was a large portion of the religious
public that kept aloof from the concern from their con-
scientious opinions on this subject. And he knew that a
great many large shareholders had resolved to withdraw
from it, if this motion were not carried. He should advise
them otherwise. He should counsel them to remain in
the proprietary, and use their influence and endeavours to
procure their object. The truth must ultimately prevail ;
end if he did not believe that this was truth, he would sot
bring it forward ; but he was firmly convinced that truth it
was, and that it‘was surely, though silently, winning its
way.. lie held in his hands 3,687 proxies from
persons utter strangers to him, and this certainly
evidenced the strong feeling which was nerved-
ieg the country on the subject.—(Cheers.) No one
feature distinguished this country more than the high tong
of moral principle, which was mainly owing to the religious
observance of her Sabbath. To maintain this great dis-
tinction was his object in making this proposition, and
having made it, and urged it upon the meeting, he felt
that at least he had done his duty.
The resolution having been read,
The CHAIRMAN inquired for a seconder ?
After a pause,
Mre Newrote said the gentleman who had proposed to
second it was very unwell.
A Sneeirroetaant at last said that he would cordially se-
cond it.
Mr. STASSFELD wished to know if the Hon. Proprietor
would exclude passengers from the Post-office trains ?
Mr. Newros said he wished no more to be done than
on actual compulsion. He was aware that under the Act
the Postmaster-General might compel the Company to
lay on such trains as he thought might be necessary for
the conveyance of letters, and of parties belonging to the
Post-office.
Mr. COLLETT said it was with considerable feelings of
pain and difficulty he rose to propose an amendment to the
proposition of the Hon. Gentleman, whose pure and
conscientious motives every one was ready to admit.—
( Hear.) Yet, though persuaded that the design of that
Hon. Gentleman was to promote what he felt to be the
best interests of his fellow-creatures, he wished to give
his reasons for differing strongly from the stringent and
restrictive resolution which he had brought forward.
There was a difficulty of combating the resalutioti, from
the necessary admission of most of the principles -.vhich
had been laid down by the Hon. Gentleman—by all who
wished to sec religious feeling spread abroad in the coun-
try.—(Hear, hear.) But there was a fallacy in the Hon.
Gentleman's principles, which, once admitted, indeed,
all his after conclusions most naturally followed. That
fallacy was, that any kind of locomotion on the Sunday
was a desecration of the Sabbath. From that principle
he (Mr. Collett) must strongly dissent.—( Hear, hear.)
With regard to the Fourth Commandment, he would ask
whether the Hon. Gentleman himself, or any of his
supporters, did or could carry out the injunction not to
work upon the Sabbath in its strict literal construction ?
( Hear, hear.) In writing a letter on a Saturday, was the
Hon. Gentleman's conscience disturbed by the knowledge
that the letter would be conveyed by coach on the follow-
ing Sunday ? Where was the line to be drawn ?—( Hear,
hear.) Did the Hon. Gentleman put a stop to all his
domestic operations on the Sunday? In fact the Hen.
Gentleman wished to draw the line just where it suited his
own convenience; leaving it loose where it affected him,
and drawing it tight where it bore on others.—(Hear,
hear.) A very important consideration ought never to be
lost sight of on this question—that the necessary effect of
opening a line of railway was to create a monepely in the
carriage of the district--( Hear, hear)—and were they jus-
tified in debarring their fellow-subjects of all means of
communication on one day out of seven ?—( Hear, hear.)
Even if the great majority were against Sunday travelling,
it would yet be a question whether they would be justified
in forcing their opinions on others, who ought to be allowed
to act according to their own consciences.—( Hear, hear.)
The proposition before the meeting had been brought for-
ward in every Railway Company yet opened--in the Lon-
don and Birmingham—the Leeds and Manchester—and
recently in the Birmingham and Derby, where it was lost
by 2,260 to 270.—( Hear, hear.) Would this Company,
then, feel jus fled in saying that on their Railway—for no
purpose either of urgent, of pressing business, or of inno-
cent healthy recreation, should means of communication
be afforded ?—( Hear, hear.) In this country the people
bad always been accustomed to act on their own discre-
tion. That travelling should be as much as possible
limited on a Sunday was unquestionable. But then the
opportunity of travelling should not be taken away ; and
it should be left to the consciences of people whether they
would avail themselves of it.—( Hear, hear.) Was it to
be said that a friend, or a physician, summoned suddenly
to attend a sick-bed, were to be prevented from using the fa-
cility afforded by this railway, and that thc dying man was to
be left to perish, in all the fever of vain expectation ?
( Cheers.) Was it to be said that a Counsel, a Magis-
trate, or officer, required urgently for the ends of justice,
could not avail himself of the railway on a Sunday ?
( Hear, hear.) But there was no necessity to pat further
cases—every man's mind must suggest to him many.—
( Hear, hear.) Again, let the meeting reflect on the im-
portance of railway facilities for the ends of innocent re-
creation on the Sabbath, which to thousands was the only
day out of six in which they could acquire a little healthy
air and exercise. It was easy for Hon. Gentlemen, with
their carriages and their parka, to talk of keeping the
Sabbath so strictly ; but look at the case of the over-
wrought mechanic, working for 14 out of 24 hours, six
days in the week, in close unwholesome atmospheres, pant-
ing for fresh air, or for nature's soul-cheering scenery;
more than the wounded hart for the water-spring—
(Cheers)—did he not require something beyond his
own bodily strength to enable him to emancipate himself
from the brick and dust with which he was surrounded ?
(Cheers.) lie considered, to sum up all, that the Com-
pany.was entrusted, to a great extent, with the public con-
venience and accommodation, and that they should take
care to provide fully and efficiently for that accommoda-
tion, leaving the rest to the independent and unfettered
consciences of their fellow-subjects.—( Cheers.) He,
begged to move as an amendment, " That the business of
the Railway be limited on Sundays to such conveyances
of passengers as the public convenience seems to call for—
and that to the Directors be confided the duty of defining
the extent and particulars of such limitation, taking as
their guide, in the discharge of that duty, the considera-
tion of the public good, and that they be requested to ar-
range so that as little conveyance as possible shall be car_
vied on during the hours of 'divine service."__( Hear.)
A SHAREHOLDER, in seconding the amendment, recom_
mended that, as doubtless on a subject of such importance,
most gentlemen's minds were already made up, the meet-
ing should not be converted into nu arena for theological
discussion, and that a silent vote be taken.
Mr. JOSIAH WILSON (after a short interval) said, he
felt it to be an imperative duty upon him, to declare his
concurrence in the resolution originally proposed, upon
principles which he considered incontrovertibly just, and
which had been admitted to be so br the proposers of the
amendment, and only attempted to be got rid of on the
score of expediency. He wished the matter had been
left with the Directors, on whom he feared the amend-
ment would however cast a heavier responsibility than
otherwise. His mind was made up for. the motion, not
feeling at liberty to explain away duty by expediency.
which ho feared was had recourse to by many who wou'd
vote fur the motion, but that they thought it would hurt
their interests.—(No, no.)
A SHAREHOLDER said he would refer the Hon. Meyer of
the original resolution to the text, " Is it lawful to heal on
the Sabbath day ?" It had been said that the lower orders
were inclined to observe the Sabbath Day. He was glad
to hear it. That was what he wished. He wanted to
for
Acts this good movement commence with the people,
Acts of Parliament never made a man religious or consci-
entious.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. CAST said that he should feel a diffi-
culty in voting either for the motion. the amend.
ment. Wishing to leave the responsibility of
the mat.
ter with the Directors, who he doubted not would pay
due respect to the memorials of thousands on the subject.