The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-28 00:00:00

JU NE 28, 1847.

ing Wolverton about a mile to the right, he went to
Weedon ; from thence, between Hinckley and Nuneaton,
to Atherstone, and on to Fazeley, one mile from Tam-
worth ; from thence he proceeded by Lichfield, on to
Chester.—(Cheers.) I take it that if Mr. Stephenson has
not taken quite so direct a line by the Trent Valley,
that ho has improved on the gradients of Julius Agricola,
while it must be admitted that this line is as good and
h's stations as well chosen.—(Cheers.) I thought that
if, 2,000 years ago, the Romans thought it necessary to
have a direct line, when probably their passenger trains
only carried a few recruits for the 20th legion, and
goods trains were unknown, I knew enough of Man-
chester men to know that in the nineteenth century they
would not long consent to be carried ten miles round,
even though they were thereby enabled to exchange com-
pliments with the men of Birmingham. I may now,
on the part of myself and the great body of the landed
proprietors of this line, return thanks to the company
for the spirit, liberality, and justice, which has distin-
guished all their trahsactions.—(Cheers.) I think, also,
that I am bound to return thanks to those who have had
the carrying out the works, for the manner in which
they have become the protectors of the property
through which they have gone, and for the ex-
amples of steadiness, industry, and obedience to
the laws which they have met, and which all similarly
engaged ought to imitate.—(Cheers.) Many gentlemen
present are probably struck with the contrast which this
ancient town presents to its former position—its origin
being lost in remote antiquity. Gentlemen, on the east
of our town stands a monument to Ethelfrida, the
daughter of Alfred the Great ; and on the west we have
met to inaugurate a monument of the reign of Queen
Victoria.—(Cheers.) That mound was raised by Ethel-
frida for the purpose of protecting the town from the
incursions of Pagan barbarians, who were in the habit
of laying it waste, while this day we are met to cele-
brate the completion of a work which presents in itself
the triumph of science, of knowledge, of civilization.
The period that has passed between the time when
Ethelfrida flourished and the reign of Victoria is not less
tb an ten centuries.

" A thousand years their clouded wings expand."
And, gentlemen, we cannot contemplate without ad-
miration the wonderful contrast presented to us.—
(Cheers.) This day we are met to celebrate the coin;
pletion of a work as part of a s) stem which is probably
destined to iffect a greater social revolution than any
invention since the art of printing was discovered.—
(Cheers.) I believe that the effect of railways must be
for good, and that they will promote the moral and
social welfare and political security of the country.—
' (Cheers.) Within a few months our bodies will be
carried along this railway with the fleetness of the wind,
and our thoughts, by the agency of the telegraph, with
the fleetness of lightning.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, let
us hope that these combined influences will be for our
good, by drawing closer family affections, and facilitating
the intercourse of life—(Cheers)—while they tend to
promote civilization and the advancement of knowledge.
—(Cheers.) As regards their political security,
I believe that we shall not have cause to regret
their construction. In a country like this it is
impossible to do more than support a limited
army ; and, in the event of war, which may God
in his mercy avert, we might be exposed to the most
fearful consequences, for it is difficult to say what
effect steam navigation may have on maritime warfare.
Of this, however, I am sure, that railways would enable
us to concentrate our limited forces on any point that might
be required ; and I have no doubt, then, that the spirit
of Englishmen would enable them to combat successfully
against any enemy, even if numerically superior, by
being conveyed by this new element of transport without
fatigue. Gentlemen, it is only by drawing closer the
" great metropolis" of the empire with the great towns,
each of which may be said to form a metropolis of their
districts, and getting a cheap conveyance, if we are ex-
posed to the rivalry of other countries, that we shall be
enabled successfully to compete with them ; but I have
no fear but by the means of railways, and the increased
facilities of intercourse, that we shall continue suc-
cessfully to compete with them, and add to the
prosperity of agriculture and manufactures.—(Cheers.)
I also hope that the result of bringing closer the
sister country to us will be to increase its prosperity,
and unite us in bonds of mutual good feeling, and
strengthen in us all the loyalty and affection to our
graeious Sovereign, who, if zeal for the interests of her
country and examples of domestic virtue constitute claims
upon the affections of her subjects, has at least as strong
a claim on those affections as any Sovereign that ever
sat upon the throne. The Right Hon. Baronet sat down
amid loud applause, which lasted some minutes. On its
subsiding,
Sir R. PEEL again rose, and said--Gentlemen, I am
happy in being permitted to give a toast by the Chairman
of the meeting. It is a matter of pride and gratification
to me that I am allowed to propose " Success to the
Trent Valley Railway, " and with that toast I should
wish to associate the names of George Carr Glyn
Esq., the chairman ; Charles Lawrence, Esq.,
the Deputy Chairman ; and the rest of the Directors
of the London and North-Western Company. Gentlemen,
these names of themselves afford a tower of strength to
the railway, and are calculated to afford a guarantee that
they will properly carry out the affairs of the company,
and that they will attend to the interests of the public
with industry, zeal, and integrity.—(Cheers.) The pe-
culiar feature of railways is, that they unite in their
management merchants of the highest station and inte-
grity, who are influenced not by a desire of pecuniary
aggrandisement by means of the direction, but to serve
the interests of the shareholders and the public,—
(Cheers.) That their motives are not influenced by pe-
cuniary considerations is proved by the fact that they
could easily the better promote them in other pursuits ;
and I refer with confidence to the means which are taken
since religious subjects have beeil mentioned, to attend to
the wants and interests of those employed such as we do
not witness in other employers. I most unfeignedly hope
that while the interests of the public are attended to in
the way they now are, that Parliament will never
consent to interfere with them—(Cheers)—in a vex-
atious spirit, or under any circumstances adopt regu-
lations which shall have the effect of driving from the
management such men as a Glyn or a Lawrence into
other pursuits more profitable to themselves, but by
which others would be introduced who could not give to
to the public, by their position and well-known integrity,
such guarantees for good management and the safety of
the passengers. All the advantages supposed to be likely
to arise from diminished fares, or the interference of Go-
vernment, would be entirely neutralised if they tended to
throw the management into inferior hands in the place
of the gentlemen I have named, who, as I have before
said, would more profitably employ their time and
money. In conclusion, I beg to propose " Success to the
Trent Valley Railway," coupling with it the names of
George Carr Glyn, Esq., Charles Lawrence, Esq., and
the Directors of the London and North-Western Rail '
way.—(Loud cheers.)
The toast having been drunk with due honours.

Mr. GLYN returned thanks, and briefly alluding to
the position in which the London and North-Western
and Trent Valley Lines formerly stood to each other,
passed a high eulogium on the promoters of the latter
company for their perseverance in bringing the line to
a successful issue.
Car-
negie, mne.pxt.,towasats,
twhhaitchofw,as ,
TAreoposedmayobrsy
aCnodlonelCar-
Corpora-
tions present and represented at the meeting." The
Mayor of Manchester returned thanks.
" The Members for the counties and boroughs of
Staffordshire and Warwickshire," were then proposed
by the Chairman, and responded to by the Hon. Colonel
Anson.
Mr. W. YATES PEEL then proposed " The health of
Mr. George Stephenson," whom the Hon. Gentleman
warmly eulogised for his distinguished professional at •
tainments.
Mr. STEPHENSON, in returning thanks, characterised
the atmospheric system as very good in theory, but as a
gross delusion and humbug in practice. With regard
to the broad gauge, he had no hesitation in saying that
it would have been found equally impracticable but for
his (Mr. Stephenson's) engines. When the broad gauge
was first laid down it was found impossible to work it,
until they sent to Newcastle for his engines and received
the aid of the " Star of the North."—(Laughter.)
The CHAIRMAN next proposed " The Directors of
other Railway Companies who were present on the
occasion."
Mr. HUDSON returned thanks on behalf of himself and
his brother directors. He could assure those present
that they always had the interests of the public as well
as their proprietors in view in all the measures they
adopted. He was happy to see that meeting graced by
the presence of so many ladies, for whom they (the di.
rectors) considered themselves trustees, especially as
many of their number had invested their little all in rail-
ways.—(Cheers.)
" The Chairman," " The Engineer," " The Officers
of the Company," " The Contractors," and " The Vice-
Chairman," were then successively given and duly
acknowledged.
Five o'clock, the time for starting, having struck, the
company, with the exception of those who reside in the
locality, took their seats in the carriages, and the
train started amidst the cheers of the assembled specta-
tors, reaching the Euston-square station at a quarter past
ten o'clock.
The length of the Trent Valley Railway is about
fifty miles, and runs through a singularly rich and
beautiful district of country, which is nearly a dead
level throughout. In an interesting article in the
current number of the Monthly Railway Record, there
is a history of the circumstances under which the
line originated and has been brought to the successful
issue which was this day celebrated at Tamworth.
" The company," says that able journal, " which pro-
jected this line, was originally formed in 1838, as
the Manchester and Birmingham Extension, its ob-
ject being to shorten the distance between Man-
chester and London, by avoiding the circuitous
route of Birmingham. The line then proposed was
from Stone to Rugby, with a branch uniting the
Derby and Birmingham Railway—the total length being
a little better than 621 miles, and the estimated cost
1,045,0001., the saving in distance being twelve miles.
In 1839 the Bill was brought into Parliament, and not-
withstanding a most strenuous opposition on the part of
the London and Birmingham Company, wasreada
second time by a majority of forty-eight—Sir Robert
Peel giving it his support, which he continued until
finally successful. The Bill then went into Committee;
but its inquiry having been protracted, by opposition,

PRICE SD.

over a period of nearly five months, although it ob-
tained a favourable verdict, it dropped in consequence of
the session coming to a close. In the following
year no steps ware taken in Parliament ; but
negotiations were carried on with other com-
panies to see 'whether any arrangements caula
be effected to carry out the line. They only resulted,
however, in an offer which was made to the promoters by
the London and Birmingham Company to pay them
twenty thousand pounds, on condition that they
would abandon the scheme. This proposition was
submitted to a meeting of the proprietors, when, prin-
cipally through the exertions of Mr. E. Tootal, the de-
puty-chairman—one of the first and firmest supporters of
the line—the offer was unanimously rejected. Arrange-
ments having shortly afterwards been made for the line
to commence at Stafford, and come into connexion
with the Grand Junction, instead of with the
Manchester and Birmingham, as had been originally
proposed, the company was formally dissolved,
and re-organized under the title of The Stafford
and Rugby Railway Company.' In 1841 a Bill was
introduced into the House of Commons for the company,
but was rejected in the second reading by a majority of
154 to 94. In 1844 the company, which had been
virtually dissolved, was resuscitated under the
title of The Trent Valley Railway Company.'
In the following year the Bill was obtained,
the capital being 900,0001. The first stod was
turned by Sir Robert Peel in November, 1845, so that
the whole has been completed in less than twenty
months. The entire construction has cost 1,050,000 L,
being about 21,000/. per mile. By means of the Trent
Valley Railway the distance between Manchester and
Liverpool and the metropolis is shortened rather more
than one hour's travelling."

The Medea steam-stoop, Commander Mason, arlifred
in Simon's Bay on the 18th of April, from Spithead.
The Conway, 26, Captain Kelly, having been relie►ed
at the Mauritius by the Eurydice, 26, Captain T.
Anson, Balled on the 13th of April for Spithead, to be
paid off.

I - The Brilliant, 22, Captain Watson, was, at the last
dates, eruixing in the Mozambique, as was the Snake,•
16, Comnaander Brown.
The squadron generally is reported " all well." No
priz‘ oe had been taken since the capture made by the
Brillitv
The t 'llgvvin.g are the promotions and appointments
j
for the pass' week
Pp 'o2,loTrorts.
Ma te
at —Henry .Jobn BA`oom6e/d, for proficiency in his
studies I Naval College, to the rank of lieu-
thener i
lieu-
tenant.