The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-09 00:00:00

PEININSULAR AND

STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.

The Annual General Meeting of this Company was
advertised to be held yesterday morning at the Company's
Offices in St. Mary Axe. Our reporter attended, but
was refused admittance, on the ground that the Board
had not been petitioned to allow him to be present.

OPENING OF THE IPSWICH AND

BURY ST. EDMUNDS' RAILWAY.

(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)
This line was privately opened on Monday, and in a
week trains will run for the conveyance of passengers.
A special train, consisting of three carriages, two of
which were elegant smoking saloons, was kindly placed
at the service of the new line by the directors of the
Eastern Counties, and left the Shoreditch station shortly
before ten o'clock. It contained, amongst other gentle-
men, Mr. Waddington, [the Deputy Chairman of the
Eastern Counties, and Mr. Roney, the Secretary
Another train left Colchester at eleven o'clock, contain-
ing a number of ladies and gentlemen. On reaching
Ipswich, after a pleasant and rapid journey, an
amalgamation of trains took place, at about a
quarter to one o'clock, a train of imposing length,
drawn by two engines, and tastefully decorated with
flags and evergreens, started for Bury St. Edmunds. An
immense number had been invited. The line, which
almost commences with a tunnel of a quarter of a mile
in length, and of a rather sharp curve, proceeds in a
north-easterly direction, and along the valley of the
Gippint, to Haughley, in the vicinity of which the line
to Norwich, and for which Parliamentary powers have
been obtained, will branch, and from thence, in a north-
westerly direction across what is called the Table Land,
to its destination. The line, the Act for which was
obtained in 1844, is 26 miles in length; it was com-
menced in September, 1845, so that its construction has i
occupied little more than twelve months, an incredibly
short time, for the works in many portions of
the line must have been extremely heavy, the
soil moved being about 500,000 cubic yards
per mile. The steepest gradient, which is at
Norton Ward is 1 in 132. The country traversed is
agricultural. There are seven leading stations exclusive
of the termini, namely, Bramsford, Blakenham, Need-
ham-market, Stowmarket, Haughley, Delmowell, and
Thurston. Nothing could be more gratifying than the
way in which the train, and those it contained, were re-
ceived at the various stations. Notwithstanding the un-
favourable state of the weather, the inhabitants, the
young and the old, and, in fact, the " halt and the lame,"
presented themselves in formidable array, and cheered
the pageant lustily. At every station triumphal arches
of evergreens were erected across the line, and
flags and banners, displaying glittering and compli-
mentary allusions, were exhibited almost to profusion. On
reaching Bury St. Edmunds a most imposing sight met
the view. Not only the town, but the surrounding dis-
tricts seemed to have poured forth the whole of their
inhabitants, for every available space within sight of the
station, which stands on an eminence, was thronged with
dense masses of humanity.
The directors and the officers of the company were
there met by the Mayor and the corporation of Bury,
who headed a procession into the town, preceded by a
band of music, which had enlivened the journey from
Ipswich, and a number of flags.
The works reflect great, credit on the engineer,
Mr. Peter Bruff, and the contractors Messrs. Brassy and
Mackenzie. They cost about 16,0001. a mile. The sta-
tions are in an unfinished state, but the line is in a per-
fect u orking order.
The inauguration of the line was celebrated by an
excellent dinner in the evening at the Assembly Rooms,
Bury. There were between 300 and 400 guests.
John Chevalier Cobbald, Esq., the chairman of the
company presided. He was supp3rted by the mayor.
A great number of influential gentlemen were present.
Due justice having been done to the viands and supe-
rior wines,

The CHAIRMAN gave the usual loyal and constitu-
tional toasts, which were warmly responded to.
Two banners disported themselves on the walls, on
which were inscribed, " Success to Cobbold and the
Directors of the Ipswich and Bury Railway—" Success
to Agriculture and Commerce, and the Ipswich and
Bury Railway."
In proposing the health of the Queen, the CHAIRMAN
said She was a great patron of railways, as she
had travelled over more miles of railway than any
other Sovereign.—(Hear, hear.) Prince Albert, too,
was a great railway traveller. He hoped he
would' condescend to visit Bury, as many of
her Majesty's progenitors had done. They had
not only visited the ancient town, but had resided in it,
and the Ipswich and Bury railway might be the
means of again bringing royalty amongst them.—(Loud
cheers). He then gave in succession the following
toasts:—The Bishops of Norwich and Ely, and the Clergy
of the diocese ; the High Sheriff of the county ; the
High Steward of the liberty of Bury St. Edmund's
(Earl Jermyn), whom he was glad to have seen at the
station on their arrival ; the Lord-Lieutenant and the
Magistracy of the county of Suffolk.
To the last toast,
The Rev. Mr. ANDERSON returned thanks. He said,
when the railway was projected he thought it would be
a frightful source of crime and outrage, but he confessed
he had been disappointed, as he found that those who
had been employed on it had conducted themselves in
the best manner. Ile 'sipeerely hopedthat it would .be-a
.
source of great profit .0 its proJectors.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed -" The Mayor, Alder-
men, and Burgesses of the 13orough." It was most
gratifying to both his brother directors and himself, and
also, he was sure, to the long train they all came in, to
have met with the reception they did on their arrival,
from the mayor and corporation.—(Cheers.)
Mr. GURDAN, the Recorder of the borough, briefly
returned thanks, and congratulated the company on
their safe arrival.

The CHAIRMAN next gave " The health of the Mem-
bers for the County," which was drunk with enthusiasm.
Captain BENNETT returned thanks. He regretted the
absence of the other representatives of the county from
unavoidable circumstances, and proposed the health of
the Chairman. He said he not only looked upon
him as a friend, but as a benefactor—as one who
had done great service to his country—(Cheers)—
and they had to congratulate each other that they could
shake hands on such terms, for he was the prime mover
and almost the completer of the great undertaking they
had met to celebrate.--(Cheers.) They had to thank
him for his great services in providing the country with
efficient railways.—(Loud cheers.)
The toast was warmly respondnd to.
The CHAIRMAN said be felt quite unable to return
thanks for the honour they had conferred upon him—
the more especially as it had been made and received in
such a flattering manner. He assured them he felt un-
worthy of the encomiums lavished upon him.—(Cries of
" No, no l")—but ".he would do his best to thank them.
Being within these walls brought many old aseo-
ciations to his mind, although thirty or forty
years had passed away since he was last there. He went
to school in the town, and it was most gratifying now to
him to be present under such different circumstances.
He, perhaps, ought to apologise for the imperfect state
of the railway on their first visit; he should like to
have seen it complete ; but he was sure • they would
forgive the company, when he called to their recol-
-I,ction that it was scarcely more than a year since
the works were commenced.—(Hear, hear, and loud
cheers.) The stations were not yet in the condition in
which they would like to receive the gentry of their
district, but he hoped they soon would be, and that they
would give them credit for what they had accomplished.
—(Loud cheers.) But they had good reasons for paying
their respects to the town of Bury before the completion
of the line, of visiting them a little before their workmen,
which no doubt had had great influence on himself and
his brother directors. In the first place, at this time of
the year they were accustomed to see turkeys, hares,
and game conveyed out of the district to London. Now
they hoped to have the satisfaction of carrying some of
these turkeys—(Roars of laughter)—in the next place
there were a great many gentry living in London, who
were not only too glad to receive such courtesies from
their country friends, but they sometimes
was
smseentbg tioinreturn
stilton cheese and oysters, which better
than a mere acknowledgment through the penny post.
He hoped they would have the satisfaction of conveying
they would have the advantage
both.—(Hear.) Besidesfom
London in much less time than at
of getting toand
a good union e
s. He should have done injus-
tice hoperd they had that day laid the germ of
Ch er )
.I).2(weetei the eastern and western districts
h h dth ure of acting if
whom e a e eas
to those with
royal to himself, because he
he appropriated theirf
being
p
present.o
f th the
e
13'n associated with two deputy-
chairman,had the satisfaction o
whose active, energetic,
thing to think of, and the other
for the development of
and singular adaptation of talent
county.--(Cheers.)
to do.—(Cheers.)
one whose coeimgprehensive mind left him no-
of the Railway."
Mr. EAGLE proposed " The Directors
their system, left him nothing
ile said the duties
Colonel BARLOW returned thanks.
supported by
much credit was due to them, as they
were
ed
been mainly
one who was in himself a host, and who had of the directors were extremely light, and, therefore, not
uired
ings of similar importance. If the directors req
em
instrumental in carrying out that and other undertak-
only stimulus, the high compliment passed upom th
by the assembly which surrounded him, would be a suiti
cient inducement. He concluded by proposing
"The
Corporations of Ipswich and Norwich.
The MAYOR of Ipswich returned thanks.
Mr. DONALDSON apologised for the absence of the
Mayor of Norwich from an unavoidable engagement.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed the " Directors of the
Eastern Counties, who were the first to project railways
towards that part of the kingdom.—(Cheers.) They
had not the honour of the chairman's attendance, but the
deputy-chairman (Mr. Waddington) had done them the
honour of coming from London, and of travelling along
the Ipswich and Bury Railway, although he was obliged
to travel on to Cambridge in order to fulfil an engage-
ment of long standing; but he had the pleasure of seeing
several directors of that company amongst them.
The toast was drunk in a bumper.
Captain BUTLER returned thanks.
Colonel IhuLow proposed the health of Mr. Saunders,
the secretary.
Mr. SAUNDERS, in replying, said the only credit that
was due to him was for having followed the orders of
the directors, who had neither swerved to the right hand
nor to the left, and who had thereby obtained the
confidence of the public, which had been
so unequivocally manifested that day. He
hoped that was not the last occasion on
which they would meet to celebrate similar inaugura-
tions, for the line that day opened was but the first
instalment of what the Eastern Union Company intended
to confer on that part of the country.—(Loud cheers.)
Whilst he continued in their service be should do his best
to deserve the eulogy they had passed upon him
and he should not be satisfied if Bury St . Edmund's