The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-18 00:00:00

NEIVSPAPER STAMPS.

4xt:

zact from a Return Order of the HOIISC
of Commons, dated 2d February, 1841, for the
following London Papers, from the Ist of July
to the 31st of December, 1840, inclusive
SUN
GLOBE 526,000
STANDARD 505,000
COURIER lll,OOO

TIME. Sit ED-MONEY SAVED,
IN TRAVELLING TO THE NORTH.

Two years ago we commented, more than once,
upon a projected railway then before Parliament,
under the name of the " Manchester and Bir-
mingham Extension Railway," of which the two
main objects were, first, to abridge the distance
between the Metropolis, Lancashire, and the
Northern Counties, by carrying a line of rails
from the then intended terminus of the Man-
chester and Birmingham Railway, at Stone (in
Staffordshire), to Rugby ; and, secondly, to open
an entirely rjew channel of railroad communi-
cation between Lancashire and the Eastern
Counties—the granary of England.
At that time the project was opposed by the
London and Birmingham, the Grand Junction,
and the Midland Counties Railway Companies,
by the Trent and Mersey Canal Com-
PanY, and by one or two powerful land-
owners, who, by their united influence and
art, exercised in the •Shape of vexatious
and costly delays, succeeded in defeating the
Measure for the Session. The promoters were
kept 4, fighting in the " Committee on Petitions"
or twenty-two (Parliamentary) days—they were
referred 'to the " Committee on Standing Or-
and there lost four days; and they were
in Committee "on the .1E11," for sixty-one days.
They laid the foundation, however, of future
success, the last-named Committee having re-
Ported, that on a future application " every fa-
cility should be afforded to the promoters of the
1 of which the forms of the House will admit."
1, :We are glad to observe that a petition was, on
lidaY, presented to the House of Commons, for
cave to introduce a measure substantially the
Me as this, and promoted by the same parties,
but designated " the Stafford and Rugby Rail-
av)

tb.lt is understood that during the interval be-
e the first and this application, terms have
na made with the most rigorous opposing land-
b-wnery and with the Grand Juction Company,
j which both the Company and the public will
sue benefited, the present intention being to start
Le- line out of the Grand Junction Railway, at
I..`4llhrd, thus shortening the route, not only to
441111eliester as heretofore, but to Liverpool, and
eo
nsequentl to Scotland and Ireland, and to
wales. y
9li a former occasion we expressed ourselves
~,
ti4r-thly in favour of the original project, and our
i eSite for the accomplishment of this, its coun-
verPart has not been abated by two years' addi-
°44l experience. The existing monopolies,
,
" Certain ancient abuses, " have increased, are
~.",e1 easing, and ought to be diminished ;" and
Whilst we think that to these ends Parliament
maY do (as it is about to attempt) much, we
n()near in a recent declaration of Mr. Labouchere,
at the surest way " by which the practical mo-
bir,'h",.°l3r of lines of railway already existing can be
de""h down, is by the establishment, in some
thg*ree, of parallel lines." Such a line, to some
4,1°,401 a limited extent, is the proposed Stafford
10e",..11,11gby line ; with. this further and greater
it 'lt, that whilst it improves the existing routes,
80°ehs out new ones, and will develope the re-
,Ur
~ees of districts hitherto, as it were, un-
liored.
4,44 evidence, too, as well of its substantial merit,
to °if the fixed desire of the districts affected
pr,,°a-ve the railway made, and of the parties
tio'inoting it to carry it out, we may
application
an extraordinary fact. In 1839, when
drevileation was first made to Parliament, the
%Posit of 10 per cent. (amounting to a sum of
AM) was of course made ; and it is a fact not
4,1:.
of
bell he
curious, and evidencing the goodness
bele design, that this was then (and we
131 eve to this moment is) the first Com-
ji-,'ltlY Which had succeeded in obtaining a share-
vttii,lll.tPable of standing so stringent a test of its
foe Y• The money so deposited has been
reeked 11P ever since, and when, owing to the
peronstruction of their plans, certain interested
Iponymade a great clamour against the Com-
ziodY: with a view to frighten these depositors,
, it ,14doce them to escape from the project,.
, 01. las determined to ascertain the feelings
; knute Shareholders, by dissolving the Coin-
' 0 ~-Y, and giving any timid parties the
tlll3v°llllllity to withdraw. To the accomplish-
toellt of this end, and, at the same time
8t ellahle the parties to get to Parliament in this
tliaB4,i°lll if they chose so to do, it was necessary
diss-nitue meeting should be held, the Company
he,,,-,•ved, a new Company constituted, and a
k B.lleposit of 10 per cent. be obtained, within
Pace of about 30 days. This, however (a thing
;di °st without precedent, we imagine), hasactu-
sercil)een done, few—very few—of the original sub-
liltd be
choosing to retire, although their money
tat,,,!?en so long locked up, and they might
Nve,-,„.741Y be expected, therefore, to have become
twice of the delay. Thus the project has been
triel. "Put through the fire," and its validity
I the severest ordeal.
Rememberingtire this—and that Parliament has
tiettLY Sanctioned, in fact, a project almost idea-
the niNv,ith this—that the railroad would improve
that'l,tt and open new channels of intercourse—
taco, it will establish a salutary check upon
uwollolists already too strong—that the land-
to,oers) the only legitimate opponents of such a
tooth re, are in an unusual degree favourable to
iat those who formerly had the best ground
lia;PPose now support it, and that the promoters
and expended large funds before Parliament,
it,,,. rit, therefore, an impartial award,—look-
will to all these things, we trust the Legislature
pfte%llnt allow a successful opposition to be again
tik,o'tl hY those whose sole influence is based
eXte,'ltnd whose sole aim is the continuance and
and -s,ion of, privileges of an exclusive kind,
Dre:O.4'ich are found to be, in their present state,
dicial to the public interests.
kit.w.,,,,41
RS OF WESTMINSTER AND
co
kld urt