The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-27 00:00:00

received at Amiens, which may traverse the whole lengt
of the line. The works of art of this section •
without reckoning a number of aqueducts, of three tun-
nels of about 600 yards in length together, four viaducts
above the railway for the passage of public roads, nine
bridges, of from four to sixteen yards in span, and six
lighter bridges. The most considerable works were in
passing through Amiens. They are now completely
finished, and this result does honour to the activity dis-
played by MM. Delzant fr&es, who had undertaken to
execute them. At the present moment workmen are
employed in erecting barriers for the passages on a level,
watchmen's boxes, posts for measuring the distance,
and other accessories necessary for the working of a
railway. Eighteen watchmen's houses have been al-
ready erected. Independently of the stations of Amiens
and Abbeville, four secondary ones have been established
at Picquiny, Hangest, Longpri, and Pont-Remy.
These six stations are distant from each other about
from seven to fourteen kilometres, but in addition the re-
quisite arrangements have been made to establish inter-
mediate ones, should it be found useful to do so. Work-
men are actively employed on the buildings at the sta-
tions; in
,order, however, to allow all the time necessary
nsatctionaet
distmvis
oei
effected
atnofi
koeencnesrl
oeyfuoutoihfsl therde oe
for arranging them in a manner most suitable.to the ne-
cessities
tvhieees service,eosf t
;atoni
o.tz,ldn
sis nhahave
orderT e been
once,et oe
nt be
er
sftul
buildingsl
commenced,
prepared
des-
tined
totahl
oe temporarybe
seee rbcveo i
constructed
erected
arrangements
etedda tozn,passengers.bt
hb .haveeer imilitaryiieA
se e
.provisional
the
grounddey
fie_t
cbhnieraecsuit of the fortifications, which the Minis-
neorteeyteedt permittedas
near
the to
tboewn passed.as
sTi
bhl
ei s,
stet ar withintoi of n Wht huaer
within 800 yards of the Rouen gate, and close to the
high road to that place. The expense of this station
will be inconsiderable, because the buildings there,
formed of timber, have been so arranged that the wood-
work may be all taken down and again put up on the site
of the definitive station, to serve as lock-up houses and
sheds for holding goods. Art. 7 of theCohier des Charges
reserved to the state the faculty of establishing the two
services of the Northern and Boulogne Companies in a
station common to both at Amiens. The Government
authorities had not come to any decision in this re-
spect when the last general assembly was held. Since
then their -determination has been transmitted to
the Boulogne Company. It is the State which is
to get this station constructed, and which has de-
finitively so arranged it that the Boulogne Company
can without any inconvience establish there its service
for passengers ; the buildings, quays, ways, and sheds
destined for its use are quite independent f those re-
served to the Northern line. It is also the state which
is to fix the sum of money to be paid by the Boulogne
Company for the use of the Amiens station. It cannot
do so, however, until after the completion of the works,
which are Arged on with all the activity that can be de-
sired. The Boulogne Company, therefore, has had to
provide at Amiens only for the establishment of a sta-
tion for goods, and for workshops to repair its stock.
These erections, situate exactly opposite those raised by
the Northern Company for the same purpose, are ex-
ceedingly advanced. One part of the sheds for goods
has been temporarily disposed for the accommodation of
passengers, whilst waiting until the state shall have
delivered to the company the definitive buildings that are
to be appropriated for that service. The houses for lo-
comotives, the offices, and in general the principal de-
pendencies necessary for the working of the section
from Amiens to Abbeville, are ready. For the open-
ing of this section to the public we were in hopes
that we might be able to advance the period
which we had fixed ; but unforeseen delays in
the execution -of certain works and in the delivery
of our stationary and rolling stock have deprived us
of this expectation. As these delays, however, are not
to continue much longer they cannot have the effect
of postponing the term which we specified last year at a
similar period. We then announced that the section
from Amiens to Abbeville might be opened to the public
at the 'end of 1846—that anticipation will be realised.
We announced at the same time that the principal
works between Abbeville to Etaples, with the exception
latg e
hast h r
been
eu
egnhoAb
tbabi
ne veidl.le ,
Is
nh o
thisu!d b
se,
et et Tont
11, noant e
ad
miles),nthgelis%h•orkso -
—o f t thhaet rpeassus
thele et length
boafnkm forty-eighten ts are knielaormlyetrteesrm(tihniartteydE;
art are partly constructed; the fences for enclosing the
line are being placed; large provisions of ballast are
ready; the laying down of the rails has been commenced
in the direction of Rue; and the contractors, Messrs.
Mackenzie and Brassey, have already organised there a
service for transporting ballast by means of locomotive
power. The works of this section will be terminated by
next spring. A station is to be placed at Noyelles-sur-
Mer' nearly opposite St. Valery. The Government
authorities have not yet decided as to the position of the
other stations, as far as Etaplee, but one of them is to
be placed at Rue. By far the most important works of
the section from Etaples to Boulogne could not receive
all the impulse that was desirable until after the plans of
the company had received the approval of the Govern-
ment authorities; at present their execution is in fall
activity. Out of about 1,100,000 cubic metres of em-
bankments that were to be made, nearly 400,000 have
been already completed; all the cuttings are far ad-
vanced; and upwards of 200 waggons and 1,000 work-
men are daily employed at them. Messrs. Mackenzie
and Brassey have entered into an engagement to have all
finished by next summer, and the arrangements which
they have made in consequence leave no doubt that their
works will be executed with great celerity. . Several
works of art are terminated, and a great umber az i
the eluter. At:execution— 'eke vgattfilentWely tge river •
Canone, at Etaples. This bridge is to have 15 arches
of 14 yards span, and is to be built altogether of mason-
work. Materials for its construction are now being
actively collected, and already nearly 1,000 stores of
wood for the foundations, a million of bricks, and 220
cubic metres of stone, have been provided. At present
workmen are engaged in driving the foundation piles.
The Government authorities have approved of the
points
chosen for the stations of Etaples and Boulogne;
they have also decided that a station is to be erected at
Neufchatel, nearly half-way between those two places.
The construction of these stations will be ere long com-
menced. About 85,000 rails have been received, and
others are on their way. All that is now to arrive
is 4,000 rails still remaining to be sent in from Pont-
Audemar, and 17,652 others from the iron-works of
Creusot, to which establishment next January has been
assigned as a final day. Two-thirds of the supply of
chairs have been delivered, and the deliveries of bolts
are exceedingly advanced. After having undergone
some delays, the supply of sleepers has beeu effected
with activity ; there still, however, are about 70,000
wanting to render the supply complete, as it will be at
the end of the year. These sleepers, which are of oak,
are immersed in a solution of sulphate of copper, pre-
viously to being used. The object of this operation is
to prolong, in a very marked manner, the duration of
the wood, and this circumstance is a matter of too great
importance to the company to allow them to hesitate to
employ it; the expense, besides, is comparatively incon-
siderable, not being more than 50c. per sleeper. Four-
chambault has commenced delivering the matters re-
quired for changing the way, but the turning platforms
are still expected ; several are on the road. Five loco•
motive machines, with their tenders, are ready, being
the number which MM. Allcard, Buddicom, and Co.,
had undertaken to have delivered at this period.
There have been ordered from Messrs. Schneider and
Co. 30 carriages of the first class, 50 of the
second, 50 of the third, 50 baggage waggons, and 90
waggons for goods and cattle, making in all 270. Great
attention has been paid to have this stock constructed in
the best possible manner. The construction is now far
advanced, and Messrs. Schneider and Co. have an-
nounced that they will commence delivering some of the
carriages within a fortnight. To sum up briefly what
has been already stated, the execution of the works on
the Boulogne was commenced scarcely a year since ; 45
kilometres between Amiens and Abbeville may be opened
for regular working at the end of the year 1846 ; 48
kilometres between Abbeville and Etaples are in an ex-
ceedingly forward state, and will be terminated in the
course of the spring of 1847. Out of 1:.9 kilometres
between Etaples and Boulogne the works are a quarter
•
exeeute
of
executed,
1847.
dll be
The
so
entireurgen
d line
on
e mayconsequently as to finishedbe
the
summer be
opened to the public about that period, for we have every
reason to believe that the execution of the works for the
passage through the fortifications of Abbeville will not
retard the definitive opening of the line. The works
that are already executed, and the agreements that have
been made, also confirm us in our expectation that the
expense will not reach the sum that was originally cal-
culated."

We cannot, gentleman, terminate this statement, with-
(out declaring to you that the information which we every
day collect tends to strengthen the hope which we in-
dulged in when our company was formed, of seeing the
circulation produced by it affording most satisfactory
returns to the shareholders. Nothing shall be lefinn-
done on our parts to give to the local traffic all the deve-
lopment of which it appears susceptible ; and with
respect to the transport of passengers and goods throne-
out the whole line, we perceive in the future only_mr-
cumstances more and more favourable to such develop-
ment. The nature of our relations with the London to
intimate, because our interests are identical—the
port of Folkestone,
amelio-
rations in course of execution at the .
ee—scrthipetionn-
Dover Company, which tend to be.comtlecaol—nsttahnetlymoro
brlsof
in-
crease t
to render it hours of oafoptehne.otruld
that port and Boulogne—the constantly
plying between .
disposition evinced again a few
at
packetsa l h
days back by the
friendly
ying reputation. of this last-named port—and the
in heagmessibe.
Minister of Public Works for the prompt execution of
plans of improvement, the result of which will be to
ensure to it its position as first port of passage between
France and England—all these causes, gentlemen,
would be sufficient to justify our hopes as to
the favourable results of our enterprise. But
if to this we add the consideration that the
increase of the commercial movement produced by the
reduction of duty in England on a great number of
ittoh e assign
iifuturene a
of re limit,smeto
r mvuea.
ar-
ticles imported from France, cannot but prove vary con-
siderable, and will become still more so should. :France
.h, alsore alowerr
developmentallw ahye r
th tariff,aotf must
t h
theit traffic
tbreai sffit
hdcei wffiheuclht
principal
'ion between Paris and London, from leaving he-
.ween these two capitals of the civilised
world only
twelve hours' distance. The general account,
which we
lay Wore you, in a detailed state, closed up to the 30th
of last September, shows receipts to the amotmt of
27,195,959 f, Bc., composed of payments of capital, ins
terest, transfers at London, sales of shares, difference an
the exchange on English payments, caution-mianey of
the contractors of works, and sundries. And an expen-
diture amounting to 14,363,443 f. 51c., composed i)f pur-
chase of land, establishment of the way and :stock--
general expenses of the administration—and in4,;erer,t to
the shareholders to October 23, 1845, lc.e.aviYig
.2
balance of 12,832,515 f. 57c. in caution-money, ,cash in
hand, and balance at our bankers' ; the pAyn ,ent of
a great part of our stock, and of a conside,,•able in
of
the cost of the construction of the line, iis down ;in the