The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-12 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION._

Several other petitions, both in favour of and agains
the Bill were presented by Hon. Members whose name
we did not hear.
Mr. KELLY presented petitions, in favour of the
Bill, from Fulham and other places in Suffolk, and from
Diss in Norfolk.
Mr. BRAMSTON presented petitions from nume-
rous shareholders in Essex, against the Bill.
Mr. LO WTHER presented a petition to the same
effect from a number of shareholders.
Mr. PARKE presented three petitions from places
in Norfolk, against the Bill.
Sir C. B. VERE presented four petitions, in favour
of the Bill.
Lord SANDON presented a petition from the
Directors of the Eastern Counties Railway Company,
against the Bill, which was to come on for second read-
ing this evening, for the alteration of their Act of In-
corporation ; also a petition from a large body of share-
holders to the same effect.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM presented a petition from
the Eastern Counties Railway Company under their
corporate seal against the further progress of the Bill.--
(Laughter.)
Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from the Col-
lege of St. Mary Magdalene, Oxford, against the Bill.
Sir C. B. VERE then rose, and said, in moving the
second reading of the Eastern Counties Railway Amend-
merit t3ill, in consequence of the number of petitions
which bad been presented for and against the Bill, he
thought it necessary to trouble the House for a short
time, while he stated his motives for making such a me-
tion. He had taken up the Bill because he thought it
was right in principle, and in his opinion ought to go
into Committee. All who knew anything of the
Railway were aware that in 1836 the original Bill was
brought in and passed. According to that Act the
Company ought to have completed much more than theY
had done ; they had not yet completed a greater distance.
than twelve miles, and many of the terms of the Act had
not been fulfilled. In 1838 a Bill was brought in to
amend the original Act and to extend the time. Abel
that time the composition of the Direction was altered
both in number and quality. Originally the Direction
consisted of twenty-two members ; eleven of them were
persons being shareholders, and livingalong the line of the
railroad, having local interests, and eleven represented the
other shareholders. From what cause lee knew not, but
this was altered ; at a meeting of the Shareholders the
Direction was reduced to 17, and—
Mr.
BRISCOE rose to order. From the
Tine's-
throughout the House it was impossible for any Pee;
, an
H Member to hear the statement made by the on.
Gallant Member.
Sir C. B. VERE—The locally interested Director'
were reduced from eleven to four-;three of them be-
onging to Essex, one to Norfolk, and none at 211
re-
presenting Suffolk. This circumstance created a feel-
ing in the minds of many that the Directors .wer
wishing to take exclusive possession of the railw?,Y
against the wishes and opinions of those parties loan!
Interested in the matter. It was thought necessary t°
have full local representation of the local interests, and
accordingly in 1838 a motion to that effect was moue,
but negatived. In that Committee was discussed what
security the counties should have that the line
would be finished—would be carried throughout"
The only security offered was a very plausible one---r_
profit Yias to be divided until the completion of tnu
railwe,y. Counsel's opinion was taken upon the Peitit'
In
and that was inserted in the Act of Parliament.
IPAit lie did not know whether the land had been Pur-
vhased so far as Colchester, but soon after it was"
Since that time he did not find that any purchase ne::
been made beyond that point. This certainly indicated
a very great slowness upon the part of the Com Pee!
to fulfil the provisions of the Act of,Parliement•
nourable Members would not be surprised that tle
Counties should be urgent in getting Wu e
measure to compel them to complete the whole
The Company had not taken any steps to induce (1,7_
Shareholders to believe they meant to do so, but on tr
contrary, every circumstance led them to believe that
they intended to carry the railway no further (11(a
_
Colchester. It was true, they said they intended to at.'
so, but they could not state any time within which the'
whole line would be completed. It was clear to all
those who resided in the neighbourhood of Ipswich"
that if the railway proceeded to Colchester,
it neverwould be carried on in the direction of Ipswich,
because at Colchester it would connect itself with
other lines which would carry it in a direction
other than that of Ipswich. Colchester had every red.
son to be satisfied if it proceeded to that town alone:
Norfolk was in different circumstances, becauee
was more or less connected with Suffolk..—(Hear''
hear.) Still Norfolk had a remedy, because tb 8
North-Eastern Line did not proceed through - N orfo',l4
it had the advantage of connecting itself with scof
other Line. The western parts of the county of Sae"'
also would find that they might be enabled to piofit
the formation of another line ; but Ipswich and the
eastern parts of Suffolk, if the present line was
not extended to Yarmouth, could never hope to obtaio
benefit. It was out of the question to suppose that it
the present line was abandoned any other line could be
executed to carry the benefit of railroad communication
from London to Ipswich. The Railroad Act had be 7
' passed through Parliament by the favour it r.e,e;:veo;
from gentleman connected with the two e"T
lancleu pr
Norfolk and Suffolk, and although maul jur,ro
prietors in these districts were opposed to tiled their'
duction of railroads altogether, still they sacrifice!. tibesee
own opinions to give the country the benefit o
need
undertakings. Such being the case, Hen. Memberinßilt
not be surprised if he had taken up the present
t.
somewhat earnestly, He did not mean to say that ht:
Bill, as it stood, was that which was most applieeh 'lest
the purposes contemplated. All he asked was, til_d
the House would sanction the second reading, Aber
when it went into committee, its clauses 11'4:a
hem
considered, because there were some of them
he did not feel himself at all desirous of suOcortilfw
What he was particularly desirous of was that t
terms of the Act of Parliament mi4lit fulfilled by
i
completing the line to Yarmouth, Colchester, and T
ps-
wich.--(Hear.) He was desirous of seeing the Act us
originally passed completed, and nothing else. He did,
not complain of the question having been referred ,_
t
the Courts of Law, because he knew very viol Oas
the Court might ;mpose penalties for non-fulfilment A°
the conditions of the Act, but the Court could not "(I'
what that House could do. The House could enable the'
Company to raise more money upon loan, by which
railway might be completed. He believed that a sti„,""'
of 2,133,0001. had been nearly or almost wholly e,„"-^
pended ; but the question was not how that enormous
penditurc had carried the railway no further than 12 niuee ,
front London—the question was whether t"6/
Shareholders who had advanced their money in order l;
have the line carried out according to the terms
the Act of Parliament, were to lose their railroad,
altogether. The company said they could not rare
money to carry the line through, but they we
willing to do so if they could. It appeared t
him that the object of the Company Was toegeet
possession of the line according to their wishes, anu..see
such a manner as would give them the most profitable
return for their money, abandoning the interest of th s 1
1.
counties without which they could not have carried el' :en't
Bill. He did not complain of any set of men inve,st,;l e,
their property in thebest way they could ; at the sarne .'
he must stand forward in behalf of those with who' °the
was connected, in order to claim for them some i
advantages which they had been promised wile tb
Bill was introduced. Many persons of small cells!
lo
had invested their property in the concern, and the 110
to them would be a very great inconvenience,. 0f
begged to conclude by moving the second
the Bill.
e
Mr. BRAMSTON rose to movie that it be re' el
ale
second time that day six months. The Hen. Ge ;two
man stated that the Directors cm isisted of twenty with
thepersons,and t
counties
oeleven
etl
eleven
nuwgiibom were
Shure
whichhettrre
ftconnected locally
upon the Direction had been tnoot d in the Comm
that sat upon the Bill, 11 e • the c
an the opinion of
prepared to recommend the House to
mitten was that the Shareholders were the Pr la t
•
persons to be Directors, and therefore they were.Lnioss
the railway
'We cipttae: !ttre
of the Shareholders. The -awe!. of limitthe tChew"n;;irigt
!e,
only entitled them to raiei.: 600,0001., but 'thou
they had the power to borrow 500,000/. ni°l
they had not been able to -find an body to lend the,
one single farthing. The Hon. Membery had stated thb:
f they wished it they could raise the money. So
people in Suffolk, and so said the promoters of this Dlll .
but why did they not come there with the su Oserili
tion list, and manifest a disposition to put tithe
hands in their own pockets. The fact was,
Bile
Company had told the promoters of the
that, if they chose, they might take the line 1.17.,
Colchester to Norwich. The only reason why
/
had not carried it on was, that they had
all the funds raised by shares, and they 1
COu
to de
borrow one single sixpence. This related only.
tails, but even upon the question of principlehe.hl,b,-1/-
hoped that House would not sanction an application
.sicrun;
nine shareholders who had not called a meeting to ciit
the matter. One thousand three hundred and twenty-esew:t
shareholders wore unanimously opposed to the.Piv .. (0
Bill. He therefore hoped the House would not allota atria
pass, especially when there was at this moment
ties had endcavoured.to obtain a mandamus to comp,•et..
in the Court of Queen's Bench, in which these veryciptahr;
Company to execute the very objects the Bill had in
To that writ the Company would have to return a"
aannss,svveerr i,n,ollulli,cillabe,,imassatitsef,rlemt.oryTltlre,y
otreuscteocuirtt,llt.citirict
fl'emrPed Ili e
't'ht the execution Court would
lnaowt. iinttednrc:lni stitna'teedintthei;::
tile object of the Bill was to enable the pane
to raise money to buy land. Why, the shares were thoetr
moment at 50 per cent. discount. The provision'
this Bill were certainly of a most irregular nature. T"
Bill itself was totally unprecedented, and he hoped that
the House would rej-ct it.—( Hear, hear.) He there-
fore moved as an amendment, that the 131i1 be recd tk

1 _
second time that day six months.
The amenda.ent having been seconded.
Captain PECHELL regiTtted that the, Hon. Mem'
1