The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-12 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

SOUTH- WESTERN AND WOICINGHAM. —• Yesterday
afternoon, at three o'clock, a numerous meeting of the
inhabitants of, and owners and occupiers of property in,
Wokingham, was held at the Town-hall, for the purpose
of ascertaining their opinion with regard to the proposed
line from the South-Western to this town. The meeting
was convened by Mr. William Helas, the alderman of
Wokingham, in conformity with a requisition, signed by
Mr. James Hayward, Francis Soames, J. R. Wheeler,
E. Roberts, Edward Horne, J. L. Roberts, and upwards
of fifty of the most influential parishioners. There were also
present Mr. H. C. Lacy, director of the London and
South-Western, and chairman of the Windsor, Staines,
and South-Western Railway Company ! and Mr.
Drake,ch
airn a onen ;and a deputation
of the
M Chadwick,from
th e
vdienpdustoyr:
Staines, and South-Western Company; and Mr. Horne,
ethneseecerr ; etarilers. C. J. Ca
jssMr.Kerr, frlormket,heAopffisiey office of Mr.
.tLcocateh,
gin
Norris, J. T. Bedborough, &c. Several of the gentle-
men present having spoken to the nature of the projected
plans, the speedy communication the line would open
with London, and the facility of that communication by
means of the South-Western line, resolutions in its
favour were passed unanimously. Wokingham is at
present situated between the South-Western and Great
Western, but without a connecting communication with
either.
NORTH STAFFORDSIIIRE.—CUTTING OF THE FIRST
SOD IN CHESHIRE.—Mr. Smith and Mr. Ainger, the
engineers of the company employed on that portion of
the line extending from Macclesfield to the Red Bull,
had made arrangements for the turning of the " first
sod " in Cheshire on Wednesday last, on the lands of
Daintry, Esq., at North Rode, adjacent to the Four-
lane Ends, and Mr. Daintry was invited to officiate at
that interesting ceremony. Mr. Daintry was, however,
absent at the time appointed, and J. Bullock, Esq., mayor
of Congleton, happening to ride up at the moment, was
asked to take the spade and make the commencement.
Mr. Bullock hesitated to take the post of honour, but at
the pressing solicitation of the engineers, at length
consented. About one hundred of the labourers were
present, and Mr. Bullock, previous to the performance
of the operation, addressed the assembled party in a
short and appropriate speech. In the course of his
remarks Mr. Bullock said " This is the first
manual operation of one of the greatest and most im-
portant railway undertakings ever provided for
this district. It is well known how long we have
been shut out from the benefits of good railway coin-
munication, and it may be remembered, that I have, as
an humble individual, long and strenuously laboured to
procure for Congleton the advantage of being placed on
a main line. This is the first step, and on the com-
pletion of this 81t.:41, nosh, the srcboci cikain of railway
communication from Manchester to London, through
Macclesfield, Congleton, and the Potteries, will be per-
fected. Judging from the wonderful energy, and the
remarkable success of the board of directors in all their
proceedings, presided over by the consummate ability of
Mr. Ricardo, and directed by the engineering skill of
n
cpcaalwMah:nr,
oseonridtred.
kafensß:cmhgcwtti
aeudhpairleliclenialeohldht
hryneo,aesdl
generalnti
atod:;ercielrassuaoa.n btmbnd ope; l
pecuniaryi
advantagects oah onendm outi
acdho
übtet
booes
stn
tehtbfieiun: expecttdteoi ttt:
hlrhiwieaac this
has great
been
labour
Ihu
re seeolnn
line.
he
of before eh
present.
eheseeanmdt
.awn
oylrvkoef
falls
kt h oo s
woe
Englishmen will work ; it is their honour& bluebaisncrd:n:wbtwehtehhiraloaestl
charac-
teristic. Take care my friends, that when you receive
the fruit of your hard-earned labours, you make
good use of it ; an may success and prosperity attend
your undertaking." The mayor then duly performed
his duty, and was followed by Mr. Ainger and Mr.
Smith each cutting a sod, and the three
protracted
having contributed a few sovereigns for a treat to the
workpeople, they were greeted by loud and
cheering, which finished the auspicious task of the day.
—Staffordshire Mercury.
SALE OF THE STOUR VALLEY.—This line was sold
to the London and North-Western Company on Satur-
day. The terms are two-thirds of London and North-
Western dividend, to commence when the line is opened,
or two-thirds of the subscribed capital; the London and
North-Western to supply the additional capital for the
present line and future branches; 4 per cent. to be paid
on calls till the guarantee comes into operation. Our
Birmingham correspondent says—" The bargain here is
considered a very bad one for the shareholders who are
not identified with the canal proprietary of the London
and North-Western, as, even supposing the present
London and North-Western to continue 10 per cent.
dividend, and the guarantee to commence instanter, it
would not raise the Stour Valley shares to more than
4 nremium, whereas, with the uncertainty of the
former, and the delay of two years on the latter, 3 pre-
mium is too much.

YORK AND NEWCASTLE.—A new station is tO be
built on this line, near the bridge at Monk wearmouth.
LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST.—Opera-
tions with the new year are to be commenced on the
Thames Junction Branch, from the main line at New-
cross to the Thames at Deptford, a distance of one mile,
including a viaduct, 730 yards in length; on the Hail-
sham and Eastbourne branches, from the Hastings line at
the Polgate station to Hailsham and Eastbourne, a dis-
tance of 7-1- miles ; and on the Steyning branch, from the
Chichester line at the Shoreham station to Steyning, a
distance of four miles.

NORTHERN COUNTIES UNION.—The shareholders
meet this month to consider the proposed application to
Parliament, for the partial deviation of the line, and the
amendment of the Act constituting the company. Also,
in compliance with the requisition of the shareholders,
for the purpose of taking into consideration and approv
ing, or otherwise certain propositions for an amalgama-
tion with the Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle-
upon-Tyne Junction.
The contract for sleepers on the South Staffordshire
amounts to 50,000.
The Midland are in want of 2,000 coal-waggons for
their mineral traffic.

The Exeter and Exmouth meet this month to confirm
their agreement with the South-Western, and to consider
amendmentanamlicßaotinoTnEfoTrothreEEnnonono .
heTihreAnct.
N
Peterborough, via' the Eastern Counties, opens
sr route t o
on the
t he
14th, and will then divide the traffic from that town with
the Northampton and Peterborough of the London and
North-Western. The arrangement of trains will be
Fw re oe mk
dLa oy ns d; o6n ,457
A1.5mA.:M2.,0 11,1.143.0,
sAu.mnd.,ay2s.o PF.Nrona6
POert:e7-.
borough, 6 0 A.M., 8 25 A.M., 12 0 N., 4 40 P.M., 7 0 P.M.
week days; 6 0 A.M., 8 45 A.M., 4 0a P.M. Sundays.A
train will also leave Cambridge at 6 50 A.M. everybut
two ot inrough, to
morn-
ingtwo for Peterborough
in eoinnnetionawndithStatrmafionrsd.at Apleltet
and from Stamford.
NEWCASTLE AND BERWICK.—The construction of
so much of the Kelso branch as extends from Tweed-
mouth to Sprouston, a distance of twenty miles, is to
be let in two contracts. The building of the new
station in Neville-street, Newcastle, is also to be taken
in hand.
' HAvnE.--A letter from Rouen, says the Constitu-
tionnel, states that the viaduct of Virville, on the Havre
Railway, subjected, like other works of art, to heavy
weights, has just experienced considerable damage from
the load placed on it. Our Paris correspondent informs
us that the above statement is a gross exaggeration, the
bridge in question remaining perfectly firm, though
some settling has taken place in the earthworks attached
to it.
FESTIVITIES IN A TUNNEL.—On New Year's-eve,
says the Carnarvon Herald, the workmen, amounting
to nearly 200, engaged .upon this stupendous and im-
portant operation, were regaled with " good old English
cheer," by their spirited and respectable employers,
Messrs. Warton and Warden. The scene of the festi-
vity was (as indeed it ought to be) in the tunnel, which
on the occasion was most tastefully decorated with the
emblems of the season. The choicest evergreen shrubs,
and the thousand lights which reflected their rays
around, gave to the scene a most imposing effect.
It was a cheering sight to those industrious men,
who alight well exclaim in that place Opus utrii-
ficem probat. The Rev. J. J. Vincent, of Gorddinog,