The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-18 00:00:00

OPENIN G OF THE BEDFORD
BRANCH OF THE LONDON AND NORTH-
WESTERN RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
After the train, which consisted of 33 carriages,
drawn by two engines, left Bletchley, the weather_
began to lower, and as the train proceeded, showers of
rain fell, which continued until it arrived at Bedford.
The journey was performed in three-quarters of
an
Owing to the length of the train, some delay took
ex-,
hour.laoe
in getting it into the station, and a carriage.almost
elusively occupied by ladies, in the very middleg much
train, by some accident got off the line,o
consternation for the moment ; but as n
tely restored.
.serious conse-
quences ensued, good humour was mut?,
There were upwards of 600 ladies and gentlemen in the
train, for whom refreshments were
arprtoyviodfedaabtothate2sotaotiosant.
Shortly after three o'clock p
aoms, Bedford, which was
down to dinner in the N
ggins:ewof the Swan Hotel. Thomas
provided by Mr. Hi
of the company, pre-
John Green, Esq., the chairman
sided. Amongst those present we observed,—H. Stewart,
Esq., M.P., Alexander Sharman Esq. (the Mayor of
Bedford), the Rev. Dr. Brereton, Samuel C. Whitbread,
Esq., J. Astell, Esq., R. Liadsell, Esq., Rev. W. Botler
Smith,
H. Littledale, Esq., Prendergast Esq. (Re-
corder of Bedford), Sir IL Varney, the Rev. Dr. Moun-
tain, A. E. Farrer, Esq , Robert Payne, Esq., B. Apham,
Esq., Thomas Long, Esq. (assistant secretary to the
London and North-Western Railway), E. H. Barwell,
Esq., of Northampton, Wm. Lewis, Esq., Eiger' Esq.,
Rev. G. Phillinaore, W. D. Cooper, Esq., Captain finish
(manager of the London and North- Western Railway
Company). H. P. Bruyeres, Esq. (superintendent of the
southern division of the London and North-Western
Railway).
Due justice having been done to the dinner,
The CHAIRMAN proposed " The health of the Queen."
He said they had not yet been honoured by the royal
countenance ; but perhaps the reason might be attri-
buted to the isolation of the town, from the want of a
railway; but this defect had been rectified, and they had
now one of the best constructed lines in the kingdom.
_ The toast was warmly responded to, as also were the
other loyal and constitutional toasts.
The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the
,toast of the
evening, " Success to the Bedford and Bletchley Rail-
way Company."—(Loud and long continued cheering.)
Ile said he could hardly express in words the great
gratification he and his brother directors felt at behold-
ing so numerous an assembly as the one that graced the
festive board—they were gratified at the condescension
of those who had honoured them with their presence at
the celebration of the completion of their great under-
taking. It was true, the dimensions of the line were
small, but the results which it was destined to accomplish
were very great. It had been completed in a manner
most satisfactory to those who had originally promoted
it, and the works had been conducted in the best possible
order.—(Hear, hear.) It was true the directors had
had to encounter many doubts, difficulties, and pre-
judices, in the prosecution of the undertaking, but they
had now been happily cleared away, and the horizon
was now bright and clear.—(Cheers.) They had had to
encounter, two formidable competitors—namely, the
MidlMid and the Eastern Counties Extension on the one
hand, and the Oxford and Cambridge line on the other.
These two lines were now completely hors de catalpa ;
but it was a " great fact" that the Oxford and Bletchley
had obtained the sanction of the Legislature, and that in
the course of twelve months a portion of the line would
be completed, and in the course of two years entirely
opened, thus completing a chain of communication between
Oxford and the important county town of Bedford. If
they looked eastward, they would tied the great change that
had been experienced on account of the failure of the
proposed extension of the Eastern Counties line from
Cambridge ; but that company intended to renew their
application next session, and would, no doubt, meet with
success. The Thetford line would be carried on to the
towns of Norwich and Yarmouth, in connexion with the
Eastern Union line, so that ultimately the lines in the
eastern portion of the kingdom,would be brought into con-
nexion with the town of Bedford, and by the aid of the
Oxford and Bletchley line with the whole west of Eng-
land, including Oxford, Bristol, and South Wales., It was
another curious fact, that the district between OXFord
and Cheltenham was being competed for by two
rival companies—the North Western and the
Great Western, and it was not improbable
that the " battle of the gauges" would be fought over
again in the ensuing session of Parliament. Let them
for a moment survey the important link which the Bed-
ford line was destined to fotm in the most important
railway communication of the country. In the east was
the wash at Lynn and the estuary of the Thames, and
on the west the Bristol Channel, which would be brought
into direct communication by the aid of the Bedford line.
The link co ninenced at the port of Yarmouth and Har-
wich united at Cambridge, and ran through Bedford to
Oxford, Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, Gloucester, and
South Wales. Harwich had become a port of consider-
able importance, inasmuch as the Government had ap-
pended it one of the harbours of refuge, and it was most
important that it and. the other ports situated on the east
coast should be placed in a direct line of communication to
the west instead of, es now, by a eircuitoesand expensive
route. Looking at this line, in a classical point of view,
the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge would be
brought within a morning's ride of each other, and the
sporting world of the west would be brought into rapid
communication with Newmarket in the east. A line
which would ultimately receive such accessions could not
fail to be otherwise than satisfactory to those who had
invested their capital in it. They then had the benefit
of being connected with the London and North-Western
Company ; and even if a direct line from the metropllis
to Bedford was ultimately made, for he would not dis-
guise that the line was circuitous, it could not be accom •
plished for many years, but in the meantime they had all
the advantages of such an eligible connexion. Although it
was circuitous, it would enable persons to travel between
London and Bedford with little delay and little expense,
compared with the communication on the old coach-
road., They had first directed their attention to the con-
struction of a line between Oxford and Cambridge,
through Bedford, and so complete a communication with
the west through the heart of England; but the lines
with which it would be associated would amply ac-
complish this effect. He deeply regretted the absence of
Mr. Glyn. the chairman of the London and North Wes-
tern Company, who had sent a letter to Mr. Pierce, the
solicitor to the company, expressing his inability to
attend onatecountof a previous engagement and indispo-
sition ; the -pleasure he and the directors had experi-
enced, in negotiating with the Bedford Company; and
trusting that the line would afford all the advan-
tages which it promised to the town of Bedford,
especially on account of the low fares which the com-
pany intended to charge.—(Cheers.) He was happy,
however, to see one of the members of the North Western
Board present, and he hoped they would receive the
toast in such a way as to enable him to carry back to
his colleagues a description of the good feeling which
they bore towards the company with which he was con-
nected.—(Cheers.)
The toast was received with enthusiasm.
Mr. E. TOOTAL rose to return thanks. He said it was
very gratifying to hear the way in which the toast had
been responded to, and he should adopt the recom-
mendation of the Chairman, and carry back with him
to the directors the way the toast had been received.
He hoped the line would afford all those conveniencies
which the country had a right to expect, and that it
would promote iu an eminent degree the prosperity of
the town of Bedford.—(Cheers.) The chairman had
alluded to the immonse power and resources of the
North Western Company ; but it must be evident
that they would only continue to hold that position
so long as they deserved it, by affording the public all
the accommodation they had a right to expect.—
(Applause.) They had not, it was true, a direct line to
Bedford, but they had many other advantages which
more than counterbalanced the loss. Take, for instance,
the fares between Bedford and London, which would not
be charged for the circuitous route, but as the crow
flied.—(Cheers.), .11e.had come two hundred miles in
order to be present at the dinner. He was not able to
address them in the language of the chairman of the
comaany, but at all events in the discharge of the duties
of the office he held, ho should endeavour to do all in
his power to promote the interests of the town of Bed-
ford.—(Cheers.) He concluded by proposing the health
of the chairman.
The toast was warmly responded to.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks. The exhibition he
had witnessed that day, and the large gathering before
him, amply compensated for all the toil and trouble he
and his brother directors had had to encounter, in bring-
ing the line to completion.—(Cheers.) He then pro-
posed " The health of the directors of the Oxford and
Bletchley Railway." In two years he hoped to have the
pleasure of being present at the celebration of its open.
lag, and to sit at a festive board as well furnished as the
present.—(Cheers.)
Sir HARRY VERNEY, M.P., in returning thanks, said
the interests of the two lines were identical, the dis-
tricts they traversed were similar in resources, and they
were each dependant in a great degree for their success
upon that illustrious company the North Western.
(Cheers.) It was true the two lines would form a link
in the chain of communication between Norwich, Har-
wich, Yarmouth, and Bury, and the western portion of
the county; and would develop the industrial resources of
the whole portion traversed. A railway was the greatest
advantage which could be conferred upon an agricultural
district.--(Leud cheers.) They had long wanted to im-
prove - thetonnty, but the expense of conveying their
produce to eligible markets, and obtaining bricks, ma-
nure, and other commodities, had been a great obstacle.
If the railway brought them nothing more than cheap
coals, it would confer a great advantage upon the county.
(Cheers.) When the Brunels, the Cubits, and the Ste-
phensons, retired with fortunes, they would have the
gratification of, knowing that they had been instrumen-
tal in bestowing great and lasting benefits upon the
community.
The Cuarnstare then proposed the Members for the
county—Mr. Astell and Lord Alford.
Mr. ASTELL.,jun., returned thanks for his father.
Sang—•.' A Thousand a Year," by Mr. Riley.
Mr.'LITTLEDans proposed the health of Mr. Pearce,
the solicitor to the company, who, ho said, had treated
all
who Caine into communication with him, with the
greatest courtesy.
The toast was drunk with acclamation.
Mr. PEARC E briefly returned thanks. He said a soli-
citor to acero
not
company did not repose on a bed of roses ; his
washonestyalways credited, and he was frequently
blamed for the acts of the Legislature. Although he
had. perhep s
eliennttLut(mL,o,stdendeavner
desires of hi . 3 to forward the
inedcheers)v—e
ns oLie stronglyut.e Lieut.-Colonel
ownaesi
this opinion rooted in
tthh:
said• t railways might
Pasley, Olt Surveying
well if it were
the infernal legal
on very
His position with
get
expenses. —(Cheers and laugh Veer 7
the company was, however, o)n
not exchange it
satisfaction, and, therefore, he would t?, considerable
for a connexion with any of the wild
were scattered all over the country. lie theenin e s hcproposed