The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-22 00:00:00

Counties Railway, now in course of construction. The
vicinity of Fenchurch-strect to the corn and coal markets
is considered a great advantage.
ARCHES OF RAILWAYS.---The evidence shows how
they are sometimes appropriated :—Some of the arches
on the Blackmail Railway have been purchased and
fitted up as houses for the poorer classes of people.
Schools have also been established under the arches of
this line, partly purchased and partly granted by the
directors. The arches near the Minories terminus,
granted at a moderate rent for an infant school for the
district round Rag• fair, on application from the clergy-
men or parishioners of Aldgate. A similar school has
been erected further down the line, at Canon-street-road;
and at Limehouse a school has also been erected under
the arches of the railway, The arches of the Eastern
Counties Railway have been occasionally fitted up and
used, by permission of the directors, as lecture-rooms,
schools, and for occasional meetings. Only two arches
have been appropriated as shops, these, it appears, are
rather nuisances than otherwise, by their Sunday
trading.
CARRYING TRADE.—There was considerable evidence
adduced to show how it is affected by extension of rail-
ways into the metropolis. It is affirmed by Mr. Horne,
the carrier, that the extension of the South-Western
Railway from Nine Elms to London-bridge would de-
stroy nearly all the carrying trade. The west-end trade
alone would be preserved, or about one-fifteenth of the
whole. The carrying trade from the Brighton Company,
from the proximity of their goods station to the City,
appear to be very small indeed, the goods traffic of this
line being all brought to London-bridge. The exten-
sion of the goods station of the Birmingham Company to
the City, would act prejudicially to all carriers, says Mr.
Horne. The extension of the London and Birmingham
Railway to the East and West India Docks will very
considerably lessen the employment of carriers from the
Camden-town station. Mr. Baxendale thinks that the
cost of loading and unloading would remain the same,
therefore the saving would be lessened by the cost of
those operations.

LOCAL AND SANATORY EFFECTS OF RAILWAYS.—The
Rev. Timothy Gibson, clergyman of St. Matthew, Beth-
nal-green, states that the formation of the Eastern
Counties Railway has caused the removal of a great
number of houses and people that were a disgrace to the
neighbourhood. When there have been new buildings,
they have been of a much better order. Some of the
improvement, however, must be attributed to the opera-
tion of the New Building Act. Many houses have been
built in 13ethnal-green on either side of the railway ; all
built in the last two or three years, are of a better order
than those built previously. The formation of two or
three good thoroughfares would tend much to improve
the parish ; it would bring new inhabitants, and cause
new and better houses to be built. There have been
persons in the parish of a very dissolute and abandoned
character, but they are getting rid of a great number of
them. This has been done by pulling down Webb-
square on the immediate side of the terminus at Shore-
ditch, which was a sort of receptacle for pickpockets,
housebreakers, and prostitutes. Has heard that a great
many of those persons have gone into the neighbourhood
of Clerkenwell. In respect of other classes, not of bad
character, but hard-working artisans, who have been re-
moved from their houses by the railway, many of them
have gone into other parts of the parish, to the right of
Church-street from Tysson-street, down to Shoreditch,
and the back streets. Thinks they have generally got bet-
ter lodged in consequence of the removal. Cannot say
whether at the same cost or not. These changes upon
the whole appear, in witness's opinion, to have been
beneficial to the morals and to the health of the district;
does not see what effect these changes can have upon
the morals of the people, except as by thinning those
of bad character. People herding together in great
numbers are apt to become increasingly corrupt and
depraved. Is of opinion, therefore, that the dispersion
of large congregations of poor and sometimes dissolute
inhabitants is beneficial, inasmuch as it destroys the
influence they have one upon the other ; there is less
excitement to evil. And, perhaps, intermixes them by
a better class of inhabitants. Whole streets of new
houses have been built upon speculation for the use of
the poor consequent upon their expulsion from existing
districts. Great numbers in the immediate neighbour-
hood of the church have been removed. In that case
they usually go into cleaner and better habitations than
those which they have been compelled to leave. There
have been two or three streets in the immediate neigh-
bourhood of the church built lately for the accommo-
dation of persons removed by the railway ; there have
been at least 150 new houses built lately in witness's
immediate neighbourhood. The persons removed by
the railway have no pre-eminent title to the occupa-
tion of these houses. These houses have been mostly
built by single individuals, not by any company. The
demand for house accommodation at the time these
houses were being bait was so great that the greater
part of them were let a considerable time before they
were finished. There is at present a great demand for
a better class of houses. The persons who live in the
immediate neighbourhood of the railway complain of the
noise made by letting out the steam ; this is a great
annoyance at first, but custom soon reconciles them to
it. The Eastern Counties Railway is built, for the
whole •length in its passage through the parish, upon
arches. There has been no proposal actually made to
use these arches for schools, or for any parochial pur-
pose. The Railway Company willingly allow the use of
them when wanted for occasional meetings, such as
getting together a great number of poor people and the
children of the schools. They have not only accommo-
dated the clergyman by lending the arch room, but
they have been very kind in fitting it up, and making
every possible preparation for it. They have shown
every disposition to oblige the clergy. There are two
arches in Brick-lane, forming part of either side of the
line, which have been let to greengrocers. They, how-
ever, are rather a nuisance than a benefit, from their
Sunday trading. Sunday trading carried on very ex-
tensively in the parish, notwithstanding all the efforts
made to repress it. The practice nas greatly Increased
during the last thirty years. Attributes the increase to
the circulation amongst the lower classes of infidel tracts
and pamphlets, pouring contempt upon religion of all
kinds. Excessive demoralisation of the lower orders in
the parish attributed also to the prevalence of infidel
lecturers, who harangue the people on Sunday evenings
in the numerous tea shops, which are open in almost
every street. The railway has nothing to do with this
evil. Cutting down neighbourhoods, in which they
have herded in such large masses, to make room for
the railway, has doubtless diminished the evil. The
benefit not confined to the absolute space cut away, but
extends to the houses right and left of the line. The whole
of the line now taken for the railway formerly occupied
by narrow streets, courts, and alleys, in which
people of the very worst description herded together by
thousands and tens of thousands. The whole of the spot
now covered by the terminus was occupied by the de-
scription of houses referred to. Does not know what
effect the railway has beyond its immediate neighbour-
hood upon the habits of the poor, but certainly a great
number of the poor in the vicinity of the railway arc
more decent in their appearance than they used to be.
Improved habitations tend, unquestionably, in some
degree to improve the morals and conduct of individuals.
Does not recollect a single instance where persons re-
moved by railways from inferior houses have gone to
houses of an inferior character. They remove almost
universally into better houses. The poor rates are
lower at present, and have been for the last two or
oet hif.nr
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used
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itself
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.
tension will pass is full of courts, alleys, and small
streets, and is, for the most part, a wretched neighbour
hood. _ _

Goons TRAFFIC to and from Nine Elms Station of
South-Western.—Description of it shows that large
quantities of fruit are brought to Southampton from the
Mediterranean, and from Nine Elms to the City, in
carts. Fruits and perishable commodities are sent up
from Southampton on this line. Coal is delivered down
the South-Western line, from London to Weybridge,
Woking, Farnborough, and nearly to Basingstoke.
23,797 tons of coal brought to Nine Elms in 1845, 11,700
tons consumed at Nine Elms, and the remaining quantity
delivered at Woking, Guildford, Weybridge, Walton,
Esher, and Kingston stations. Coal is brought to Nine
Elms by water. Large quantities of agricultural pro-
duce brought to Basingstoke and Warren Farm,
from Salisbury and other places. The extent of the
traffic between the City and this station very great. The
traffic is small compared with the traffic on the northern
lines. The extent of traffic at Nine Elms necessarily
increased with the great increase of the South-Western
line and branches. The original line was 77 miles
long. This increased to 100 miles of railway com-
pleted and in operation. 92 miles in course of construc-
tion, and 245 miles before Parliament in the present
session. About 65,000 tons of merchandise per annum
are brought to and from Nine Elms station : this is ex-
clusive of coals. The exact amount in the year 1845
was 74,499 tons. About 65,000 tons are conveyed in
carts, chiefly to and from the City, and the remainder
by water. Altogether the traffic in the year 1845 was
48,000 tons outwards, and 26,400 tons inwards. The
goods traffic averages 66,000 tons, inclusive of the coal
trade. Mr. Chaplin, the chairman, asserts that a reduc-
tion of the charges on the railway would greatly increase
this traffic. Nearly all the goods traffic on the South-
Western Railway goes to and from the City. The usual
route is over London-bridge, that being toll-free. The
most direct route, in Mr. Horne's view of it, from Nine
Elms, would be over Southwark-bridge. The toll of ls.
or Is. 6d. on each waggon, the cause of this bridge not
being used. The average cost of cartage of goods from
this station to the City is ss. 6d. per ton. It varies ac-
cording to the description of goods from ss. to 6s. Bd.
per ton. It averages to the Bank or London-bridge ss.
per ton ; ls. a ton calculated as the expense of loading,
the unloading is done by the South-Western Company.
By extending the lino to London-bridge, a saving of
Is. Sd. per ton would be effected in the cartage.
Goons TRAFFIC to and from Bricklayers' Arms
Station of the South-Eastern.—A very large traffic in
hops is brought from Kent to this station. Nearly all
the hop traffic is brought to it, says Mr. Fearon.
90,000 pockets of hops have been brought to the station.
They are brought in enormous trains, forty or fifty
waggons in a train. From thirty to forty pockets are
brought in each truck. This traffic requires an enormous
amount of plant to carry it on. The hop trade is al-
most entirely confined to the Borough. 'The cost of
cartage is 3s. 41 per ton charged for all goods de-
livered from this station to any part of London. This
is not a paying rate ; it ought to be ss. The railway
to
company
ccahrartyweat3tsile4ds.a,mtheerraetfeo.re the carriers are com-
pelled Goons TRAFFIC to and from Camden-town Station
of the London and North Western.—lt consists chiefly
of manufactured goods coming into London, and goods
for consumption for the country going down, such as
groceries, draperies, and goods of that description.
These goods chiefly come from the City. As regards
pthaenye x
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passing Co-
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over the line into their warehouses. Messrs. Pickford
piss over the railway about 1,600 tons a week, 800