The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-03 00:00:00

posed that we should meet them in the old English way,
and give them an English dinner. I believe this plan
will be universally approved throughout the town, and I
the only difficulty wilt be (which may be left to a Com-
mittee) how to do this in the best manner; and
although there might be a wish that the dinner
should be very popular and extensive, that will be
utterly impossible, if you give the Directors such a din-
ner as will be respectful to them, as the dinner must be
expensive. You must not give- them a cold reception ;
you must not invite the Directors to a cold dinner. That
would be throwing cold water upon their steam, and to
no Railway Director would that be acceptable.—
(Laughter.) I think I have now said sufficient to justify
me in moving the resolution which I hold in my hands—
" That in the opinion of this meeting, on such an impor-
tant ( vent as the openilig of the London and Brighton
Railway, it is desirable that the inhabitants of Brighton,
in order to show their high sense of the great benefits
which that that splendid work Will confer upon the town,
should invite the Directors to a public dinner." Nor:,
Gentlemen, I conclude with what I began. I feel greatly
obliged to my fellow7townsinen for having selected me
to make this proposition, because it was demonstrated to
me, not that they expected I should do it with sufficient
' ability, but that they have had sufficient experience of
me in this town to know that I am ever anxious for its
prosperity.—(Cheers.)
Mr. F. CoorEn said the honour of seconding the re-
solution had been entrusted to him ; and had it not been
for the eloquent speech which had been delivered to
the meeting by the Honourable mover, he should have
found great difficulty in presenting it in such a way as
its merits deserved. He was relieved of that difficulty
by the very able manner in which the advantages to this
town from the formation of the railway.. had been
pointed out by Mr. Seymour. He - (Mr. Cooper) felt
that the opening of this railway would be one of the
most importaietevents that had ever occurred to the
town of BrighbM. It must necessarily increase its-pros-
perity, and produce advantages to every individual lo-
cated amongst them. He agreed in almost every thing
that had been said by Mr. Seymour, who, however.
went a little too far when he said the Directors had
I overcome impossibilities. ' The fact was, that al-
though Mr. Rastrick knew it could be done, it was stated
upon honour and upon oath, in the Houses of Parliament,
that his project was not only impracticable, but that the
idea amounted to an absurdity. They had now the re-
port of the Government engineer that that which was
stated, upon oath and declaration, to be almost an ab-
surdity and an impossibility, had not only been effected,
but that it had been completed in the most masterly
style, so much so that the railroad to Brighton was re-
presented to be one of the most perfect in the kingdom.
—(Cheers.) He (Mr. Cooper) had perhaps had greater
opportunities than the Honourable Mover of the reso-
lution, of intercourse with the Directors who had
the management of the concern, and he could say with
safety, and he said it with pleasure, that in his
life he had never met with more honourable
and straightforward men, men of greater ability and as-
suidity, men whose assiduity and ability had enabled them
to overcome all the difficulties of the undertaking. The
Honourable Mover was perfectly correct in stating that
obstacles were presented in every stage of the work, for
not only the natural obstacles of the country through
which the line passed hal to be overcome, but the ob-
stacles of interested parties in endeavouring to prevent
the raising of the necessary funds to carry out this stu-
pendous work. From the day when the Bill passed up
to the present time, the shares of the Company had been
invariably at a discount : but, independently of that, ir-
respective of their overcoming all the difficulties which
that circumstance necessarily produced, the Directors
proceeded with a straightforward determination to dis-
charge their duty, and nothing but that determination and
the activity with which they proceeded to execute it, had
enabled them, in the depression under which the con-
cern was attempted to be kep.,, to complete it in the
manner they had done. There were no means so well
calculated to express the EngliSh manly feeling of the
town towards these gentlemen as to invite them to a
public dinner. He felt confident that the inhabitants of
Brighton would heartily concur in the proposition; that
they would, one and all, concur in making it a recep-
tion worthy of the occasion, and an honour to those who
had so much benefited the town.—(Cheers.) He there-
fore had the greatest pleasure in seconding the motion,
which he was sure would be unanimously carried.
Mr. MATTHEWS had always been so strong an admirer
of this line, that he had been called an enthusiast. He
differed with Mr. Seymour with regard to the dinner ;
for he would rather see a thousand men enjoying them-
selves on the occasion, than a hundred sitting in a hot
room drinking champagne and complimenting each
other. He knew the pride of the Brighton people was
to do everything better than others ; and he should like
the resolution to go the extent of inviting the share-
holders: They might say he was interested in
that, because he was himself a shareholder—(A laugh)
—but he would waive that by taking his own ticket.
Besides, it should not be forgotten that it was by the
voice of the people, the working people of Brighton,
that the Bill was obtained ; and he should like to see them
enjoying a holiday on the occasion, with plenty to eat
and drink. He could see around him many who had
partaken of the Directors' champagne ; and he should
like to see them give a subscription dinner in return.
He once lived upon the great Bath-road, when he used
to see the invalids bundling down from town on a Mon-
day, and it was then thought pretty well if they got
back on Thursdty. This was four days. Brighton
could then be reached in six hours, and that made the
town. Comparing Bath and Brighton, Mr. Matthews
mentioned that he had told a party at Bath that they
would never beat us till they could get our " herring
pond" in their neighbourhood. The railroad would, he
thought, be of incalculable advantage to the town. Now
was there any objection to inviting the shareholders ?
A Gentleman, whose name we could not learn, said—
I should like to second that, and to invite the Engineer
as well as the Directors.
CHAIRMAN—The requisition is very explicit ; I think
we cannot go beyond the Directors.
Mr. MATTHEWg—Not if the meeting is unanimous ?
Mr. SEYMOUR—Let us begin with the Directors, and
have half-a-dozen more dinners, if we can.
CHAIRMAN—Perhaps, Mr. Matthews may be antici-
pated with regard to the shareholders. I merely wish
now to say that I have had the pleasure of dining at the
expence of the Directors, when my friend, Mr. Mat-
thews, sat opposite to me.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Mmuews---That was before the Bill passed ;
but don't suppose I want to throw anything like dissen-
sion in the meeting. I will agree to any thing ; but I
want to do the thing handsome, and I should like to see
the shareholders at the dinner.
Mr. HoLTHAm remarked that the question must, after
all, be left to a Committee, who, if they found it desi-
rable, could call the inhabitants together, and take their
opinion upon Mr. Matthews's suggestion. But it would
be indiscreet for the preient meeting, without funds, to
resolve on a very large expenditure.
Mr. SEYMOUR, in reply, said he was no shareholder,
nor had he ever tasted any of the Directors' turtle or
venison—no, nor even their bread and cheese.—
(Laughter.) He should like to see a feast as extensive
as Mr. Matthews suggested ; but that was impossible.
After passing this resolution they would, of course, ap-
point a Committee, and these gentlemen would consider
the best possible manner of carrying out the object of
the meeting, and, if practicable, of enlarging that object.
He wished now to mention one circumstance which he
had forgotten when he before addressed them, but which
reflected great honour on the Company. Among the
advantages of Brighton were its charities, at the head of
which stood the Sussex County Hospital. That Insti-
tution had assisted the poor men who were injured in
the progress of the railway, several of whom had been
at the Hospital, and most of them, had been cured ; and
the Directors had shown that science and benevolence
went together like two cherries upon one stalk, for they
had sent to the Hospital donations to the amount of 1501.
Mr. Seymour then mentioned that a letter was a short
time ago sent to them, stating the number of railway
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The resolution was then put and carried with only two
dissentients, Mr. Bowdidge and another.
Mr. C. WIGNEY proposed a resolution that a Com-
mittee be appointed to carry the foregoing resolution
into effect, with full power to make every arrangement
which can render the dinner agreeable and the Direetors
sensible of the feelings of the inhabitants of the town of
Brighton for their exertions.
Mr. H. SMITHERS had great pleasure in seconding that
resolution. He was sure that they would all join heart
and hand; the Committee would be anxious to do their
utmost, and let the town see whether, by subscribing li-
berally, they could not do more than give the Directors
a dinner.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that they would
make it a high day and a holiday, and shut up their
shops and enjoy themselves.
Mr. B. WOOD remarked that an era was dawning upon
them which would, in his opinion, make Brighton more
prosperous than ever she had been before. With the ex-
perience of the effect produced by the starting of the six-
hour coaches by Mr. Whitchurch, twenty years ago, he
had no doubt that the increased rapidity of travelling by
means of the railway would be beneficial in proportion
to the increase of speed.
On the motion of Mr. F. COOPER, seoonded by Mr.
Forecino, thanks were voted to the Chairman ; and the
meeting broke up.

SHEERNESS, AUG. 31.—Last night the Rus-
sian Finland ship Solide, Captain Batlund, at present dis-
charging in the basin here, got so imbedded in the mud
that, on the flood tide, she did not float, and the raft-
port having been left open, the water rushed in and al-
most filled her. When the circumstance was discovered,
an alarm was immediately given. to the police, and in a
few minutes Lieutenant Wise, RN. (director of the po-
lice), with 'all his men, and the assistance of the mili-
tary guard, and Mr. Easto, assistant-master, attended.
The fleck load of the Solide, and her victualling stores
having been speedily removed, she rose from her bed
in the mud, but immediately on her floating, owing to
the great quantity of water in her hold, and having a
flot, om cargo, she fell over on her larboard broadside,
but was fortunately prevented froth capsizing by coming
against the wall of the basin. As it was, however, the
water flowed over her lee-rail, and up to her main-hatch
comings. The principal part of her Victualling stores
being of a perishable . mititre, are quite destroyed; The
crew were engiged.Ori fruesdiv in pumping her out,