The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-10 00:00:00

DONCASTER LINES.

The following is a list of the proposed schemes of railways
which come to this town, and which have deposited their
plans and sections with the parish-clerk of Doncaster : •
1. Manchester, Midland, and Great Grimsby Junction
2. London and York (Great Northern)—Extension to
Wakefield and Leeds
3. South Yorkshire Coal
4. Goole, Doncaster, and Sheffield and Manchester Junction
5. Direct Northern—London to York
6, Manchester, Huddersfield, and Great Grimsby Direct
7. Pontefract, Doncaster, Worksop, and Mansfield Junction
8. Cambridge and Lincoln Extension, and Lincoln, York,
and Leeds
9. Eastern Counties Extension—Lincoln to York
10. Midland Extension—Swinton to Lincoln.
The above schemes have also deposited their plans, &c., at
the Private Bill-office. The two following, which were de-
posited with the Board of Trade and the clerk of the peace at
Wakefield, have neglected to comply with the above orders,
and are consequently lost for the next session :-
1. Hull and Holyhead Direct
2. Hull, Sheffield, and Midland Direct
Of the ten projects which have up to the present time com-
plied with the standing orders, there is every probability that
an amalgamation with some of the competing schemes and
established companies will take place, and thus prevent a
vast amount of opposition.

IRISH RAILWAYS.
MIDLAND GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY-RAISING

THE FIRST SOD BY THE LORD-LIEUTENANT.

On Thursday the interesting ceremony of raising the first
sod of the Midland Great Western Railway was performed
by his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant, in the presence of
a numerous, fashionable, and influential assemblage of spec-
tators, _ _ _

The grounds immediately behind the Royal Canal House
were enclosed with ropes, and numerous flags marked the
boundary of the noble terminus which is to be constructed
at that point. The day was beautifully fine, and the crowds
collected on the banks of the canal, overlooking the ground,
showed by their acclamations the deep interest which they
felt in the undertaking.
At half-past one o'clock the Lord-Lieutenant, accompanied
by Sir Thomas Fremantle, Chief Secretary ; the Hon. Colonel
Talbot, Mr. Robert Peel, A.D.C. ; Major Atherly, A.D.C. ;
and several other gentleman, made his appearance, and was
loudly cheered.
At this time we observed amongst the company the Lord
Chancellor of Ireland, the Marquis of Westmeath, the Earls
of Roden and Erne, Lord Dunsandle, Chief Justice Doherty,
the Chief Baron, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Sir E. Blakeney
(c )mmander of the forces), the Solicitor-General, Abraham
Brewster, Esq., Q.C., Colonel Joner, C.E., Hon. Col. Talbot,
General Wyndham, Colonel Browne, Hon. Mr. Preston,
Thomas Fetherstone, Esq., of Bracklyn Castle; John
Ennis, Esq., Deputy Chairman of the Company; James
Perry, and nearly all the other Directors.
The band of the 41st regiment was in attendance, and en-
livened the gratifying scene with the newest airs.
Arrived at the place marked out, Mr. Hemans, the acting
engineer, presented his Excellency with the spade, with
which he was to operate; and having cut the first sod, and
rolled it to the end of the platform in a workmanlike man-
ner, a gun was fired, and thousands of voices were raised in
hearty acclamations.
Lord Dunsandle, as chairman of the Company, next cut a
sod, and rolled it in the furrow to its destination. Then fol-
lowed the deputy-chairman, Mr. Ennis, Mr. Hemans, the
engineer, and Mr. Jeffs, the contractor for the first twenty-
six miles out of Dublin. A salute of guns followed, accom-
panied by renewed applause from the vast concourse on and
surrounding the grounds.
His Excellency and the company were then conducted to
the board-room in the Canal House, where an elegant de-
fame was laid out in Mitchell's best style. After ample jus-
tice had been done to the viands,
The CHAIRMAN (Lord Dunsandle) proposed " The Health
of her Majesty the Queen," which was drunk with all the
honours. The next toast tti as " The Qunen Dowager, illus-
trious by her rank, but much more illustrious by her
virtues."—(Drunk with applause.) " The Health of Prince
Albert, and the rest of the Royal Family," was warmly is.-
sponded to.
The CHAIRMAN rose again, and said, that when he looked
around and found himself surrounded by many of the nobi-
lity of the land, by the learned professions, by the represen-
tatives of banking-houses, and all the other great commer-
cial interests—when he saw all those before him, he had
reason to hope for the most perfect success of the under-
taking begun that day.—(Hear.) At any time that a pro-
ject for connecting the east and west of Ireland by a rail-
road would be commenced, it would be deemed a work of
great national importance, but at the present time when
serious loss had occurred to the potato crop—when the
usual supply of food for the poor was reduced in a greater
or less degree, a work of this kind should prove of incal-
culable service to the poor. He hoped that the distress
which, under ordinary circumstances, was to be appre-
hended, would be staved off by giving to the poor the
means of procuring corn, which, he was happy to say, was
most abundant at this season.—(Hear, hear.) On former
occasions of ,distress, the Irish poor were relieved by Go-
vernment money, and the benevolence of individuals in Eng-
land sending their thousands and tens of thousands here;
but he confessed he did not like this source of relief at all
times, because extensive charity not unfrequently engen-
dered idleness.—(Hear, hear.) The idle man had his wants
relieved, and no difference was madel between him and the
industrious man, who was compelled to seek relief, and felt
himself degraded. The best way that relief could be
distributed in times of scarcity was by such works as
that commenced by the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland to-day.
—(Cheers.) This Company had already contracted for the
first twenty-seven miles of the line out of Dublin for the sum
of 70,0001. This large sum, spread over such a length of
way, would give employment to hundreds of persons, who
would feel they were receiving, not charity, but fair remune-
ration for their labour. According to the provisions of the
Act of Incorporation they could only call for 51. a share every
three months. If they could get in their money more
speedily, the Directors would be in a position to place the
entire line at once under contract, and so extend the employ-
ment of the people. The shareholders, however, did not
like to be called upon too fast; they knew little yet of the
Directors to whom they entrusted their money, and they
could have had no experience of the remuneration they were
likely to receive ; but when they saw the nobleman ap-
pointed by his Sovereign to the government of this country,
taking such a deep interest in the undertaking, he did hope
the shareholders would feel confidence in its soundness, and
security for their property. They might rest assured his
Excellency would not give his countenance to any work of
the kind which he did not feel sure was based upon a
solid foundation.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") After a few
other remarks of a similar tendency, the Noble Chairman
proposed "The Health of his Excellency.the Lord-Lieutenant
of Ireland."
The toast was drunk with the greatest enthusiasm, and
nine times nine.
After silence was restored.
His Excellency the LORD-LIEUTENANT then rose and said
he felt very much obliged to the Company for the honour
which they had lone him in drinking his health, and to the
chairman for the very flattering manner in which he had been
pleased to propose it. He could assure them that he had the
greatest gratification in executing the duties which had been
entrusted to him that morning, for he was convinced that
nothing would tend more to the welfare and prosperity of Ire-
land than the establishment of railways all over the country.
—(Cheers.) They would give empbyment to the destitute.
They would open the markets to the artisan as well as the
farmer, and by. increasing locomotion amongst the inhabi-
tants, tend materially to the improvement and civilisation of
the more remote provinces.—(Hear and cheers.) These were
well-known truths upon which it was unnecessary to dwell,
and, indeed, he was not in such a state of health as to be able
to do so. He would perhaps be permit ted to offer his congra-
tulations at the auspicious commencement which they had
that day made, and also to express his best wishes for the
prosperity of the undertaking.—(Cheers.) In conclusion, his
Excellency proposed " The healths of the Directors and Pro-
prietors of that railway, and success to their undertaking."--
The Noble CHAIRMAN returned thanks, and dwelt upon
the economy and vast public advantage of the line. In con-
clusion he proposed " The Health of the Lord Mayor of Dnb-
lin."—(Cheers.)
The LORD MAYOR expressed his acknowledgments in
suitable terms.
Mr. Ennis, the Vice-Chairman, proposed " The Health of
Mr. Hemans, the engineer," which was drunk with applause
and responded to by Mr. Hemant.
The CHAIRMAN then gave " The Healths of the Noblemen
and Gentlemen who had honoured them with their corn-
pany."—(Cheem)
The Marquis of WESTMEATH returned thanks. He said
that, as a resident landlord, he should express the great
happiness which he felt in common with others at the
prospect of such a work being carried in the interior of Ire-
land. With respect to the county of Westmeath and the
terminus of the line, there were many present—Mr. Tuite
and Mr. Ennis for instance—upon whom the honour of re-
turning thanks would more properly devolve. He had been
sceptical at first as to the success of railroads in Ireland, and
it was not until the present moment that he had changed
his opinion.—(Cheers and laughter.) He had now very sin-
cere confidence in the success of the line—(Cheers and
laughter)—having very good reason to entertain that feeling
in consequence of the statement made by his Noble Friend at
the head of the table. There was no doubt that railroads
were regarded by the resident landlords of Ireland as calcu-
lated to serve persons in every relation of life, and looked
upon also as the harbingers of prosperity and the precur-
sors of peace in the country,—(Cheers.)
Mr. JAMES PERCY proposed " The Health of Sir Thomas
Fremantle," to whom they were greatly indebted for his as-
sistance in enabling them to procure the Bill.— (Cheers.)
Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE said that he had not at all ex-
pected that his name would have been mentioned upon that
occasion, as there were many present who felt as strongly
as he did upon the advantages to be derived from railway
communication in Ireland, and were more deeply interested
in it than even he was. He returned them his most cordial
thanks, with the most unfeigned feelings of satisfaction and
gratitude, for the very flattering manner in which his