The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-06 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

THE SOUTH-EASTERN AND COUNTY OF
KENT.—MEETING AT SEVENOAKS.
SEVENOAKS, SATURDAY AFTERNOON. A public
meeting of the inhabitants of Sevenoaks and the neigh-
bourhood was held this afternoon, to take into considera-
tion the recent policy of the South-Eastern Company, in
the matter of the increase of the fares on their line, and
also for the purpose of considering what steps should be
taken to secure the most direct and cheapest line of rail-
way communication with the metropolis. Amongst the
leading persons present were the Marquis of Camden,
Lord Holmesdale, the Right Hon. J. C. Herries, Mr.
Mildmay, Mr. Lambard, Mr. Petley, Mr. Hussey, Mr.
Adams, Captain Nepean, Captain Gordon, Captain Ran-
dolph, Mr. J. P. Atkins, the Rev. J. Austen, Rev. T.
Wilgress, Mr. W. Holcroft, Mr. T. Camel], Rev. Mr.
Bloxam, Mr. Tonge, Mr. John Ellis, Mr. H. Hughes,
Mr. Briggs, Mr. Peat, Dr. Gellatly, Dr. Harris, Mr.
Golding, Mr. Nonaile, the Rev. T. S. Curtis, Rev. Mr.
Onslow, Rev. Mr. Repton, Mr. Clayton, Mr. Colman,
Rev. Mr. Burton, Mr. Mager, &c. It was stated that
Earl Amherst, who was in Wales, and Earl Stanhope,
in Scotland, both concurred in the objects of the
meeting.
The Marquis of CAMDEN having taken the chair and
opened the business of the meeting,
Mr. HOLCROFT said, that in consequence of sugges-
tions he had received from Lord Amherst and others, he
had forwarded a notice of the intended meeting to the
solicitors of the South-Eastern, and London, Brighton,
and South Coast Railway Companies, in order that they
might attend it. He believed that some gentlemen con-
nected with the latter company had arrived, but he un-
derstood that no one appeared for the South-Eastern
Company, neither had any answer whatever been received
from them, or any notice taken of his communication.
From what had transpired at the meeting held at Can-
terbury, on Monday last, it was understood that the
London, Brighton, and South Coast Company had al-
ready directed surveys of a line to be made.
The meeting having expressed a wish to have some
information with regard to the plans proposed by that
company, an invitation to attend was sent to the deputa-
tion from the company, and Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, the
deputy chairman, Mr. Burchell, one of the solicitors, and
Mr. Sherrard, the engineer, immediately attended. The
Noble Chairman having called the attention of the depu-
tion to the objects of the meeting,
Mr. WILKINSON said that the engineer being present
with him, that gentleman could give the fullest informa-
tion as to the engineering details of the line now pro-
posed. The circumstances under which the Mid Kent
Atmospheric project had been defeated in the last ses-
sion had induced the projectors to improve the line of last
year. He had not attended for the purpose of giving
any pledges of what the London, Brighton, and South
Coast Company intended to do. What he had to com-
municate must necessarily be more historical than pro-
phetical, as he had received the invitation to attend this
meeting only late last evening, on his return to town, so
that he had not had any opportunity of communicating
with his colleagues, and consequently was not in a posi-
tion to speak upon the authority of the board. He
could, however, state that instructions had been given
to survey the best lines that could be had between Lon-
don and Tunbridge, and branching off through Maidstone
to Canterbury. He then adverted to the breach of faith
committed by the South-Eastern Company, and contended
that their previous reduction of fares had influenced the
minds of the Committee of the House of Commons in
their favour, and against the competing line of the Atmo-
spheric Company, whose Bill was rejected, though it
offered a maximum rate of fares still lower. He then
entered into an exposition of his well-known views with
regard to the policy of charging low fares to the public,
asserting that low fares and ample accommodation were
most advantageous to all parties concerned.—(Hear.)
After deprecating the raising of fares for the purpose of
obtaining a mere temporary profit without regard to the
permanent interest of shareholders, he referred to the
proposals made last year by the Atmospheric Company
in this respect, and reminded the meeting that if these
proposals had been unanimously supported by the land-
owners of the county in a more decided manner, there
would not have been any necessity for their meeting
together as on the present occasion.—(Hear.) His col-
leagues at the board of the London, Brighton, and South
Coast Railway bad determined to prosecute a scheme
which would be an improvement upon that of last ses-
sion, and it only remained for the landowners of the
county of Kent to decide upon giving their support to it
in such a way as would secure for it a favourable recep-
tion before Parliament in the next session.

Mr. SHERRARD, the engineer, produced his plans, and
entered into a number of details and explanations upon
matters of a local nature.

The CHAIRMAN asked if they would have the same
tunnels as last year?
Mr. SUERRARD said they would, but they would have
better gradients.
The CHAIRMAN—Iiave you not abandoned the atmo-
spheric principle?
Mr. SHERRARD—Yes; or rather they had abandoned
the atmospheric gradients. The line would bo laid out
as most favourable for locomotive traction. The gra-
dients were decidedly better than those of last year, and
the line would be shorter. With respect to Maidstone,
that town would practically be placed on the main lino
as far as the convenience of the public was concerned.
Every train up and down would stop at the Maidstone
station.

Other questions having been put and replied to by
Mr. Sherrard,

The ChAIRMAN asked Mr. Carnell, the agent for the
South-Eastern Company, if he had any communication
to make to the meeting?
Mr. CARNELL said he had not received any instructions,
and bad no authority to make any statement; but as he
knew what were the bona fide intentions of the South-
Eastern Company, he could assure the meeting that the
company would prosecute a line next session, similar in
all its features to the one of last year; that is, it would
come to Tunbridge through the Basted Valley. He had
uo authority to make this statement, still he knew this
to be the present intentions of the company. The de-
cision of the present meeting might, however, determine
them otherwise. He thought that Mr. Wilkinson's rea-
soning as to the policy of low fares could not be borne
out by experience, and although he regretted what had
occurred with respect to the fares being raised by the
South-Eastern Company, he considered that as the at-
mospheric principle had been abandoned—
Mr. WILKINSON—The atmospheric principle has not
been abandoned.

Mr. CARNELL had Mr. Sherrard's authority for this
statement.

Mr. SEERRARD—Oh no! I say that the gradients,
which were only suitable for the atmospheric, have been
abandoned, and better gradients substituted. The line
of last year was hastily laid out, but as I have now more
time to devote to it this year, I have been enabled to
abandon some of the worst gradients, and have very
much improved them. Of course the easier the gradients
are the better, whether it be for the atmospheric or the
locomotive system,—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. LATTA, of Bromley, stated that as he had been
requested to represent the views of upwards of two thou-
sand inhabitants of this county, he had attended the
meeting in the hope that some parties would- have been
present from the South-Eastern Company. The requi-
sitionists, who had desired him to represent their griev-
ances, wished to know, in the first place, what had oc-
curred to change their policy since the 27th of Decem-
ber, 1845.—(Hear, hear.) They wished to know also
whether it was true that the South-Eastern Company in-
tended to branch off from their North Kent line through
the Shoreham valley, straight by Maidstone and Ash-
ford to Folkestone? In the absence of any authorised
information as to the bond fide intentions of the com-
pany, the requisitionists had deputed him to tender their
support to any company who would undertake to make
a direct line from London to Dover—viz., through
Bromley to Sevenoaks and Tunbridge, and through
Maidstone, Sittingbourne, Faversham, and Canterbury
to Dover, and he was only too happy to find that their
wishes were likely to be realised by the scheme now
proposed by the London, Brighton, and South Coast
Railway.
The Right Hon. J. C. HERMES said, that having
heard the explanation given by Mr. Wilkinson and Mr.
Sherrard, it now became necessary to propose some re-
solution. For his own part he thought that Mr. Wil-
kinson's statement was extremely satisfactory.
(Hear, hear.) He had considered the question in all
its bearings as affecting the general requirements of the
country, and especially their immediate and local wants,
which, as far as they were concerned, were the most im-
portant after all. The Right Honourable Gentleman
concluded by proposing the following resolutions:—
" That a line of railway from London, or from the
Croydon Railway through Bromley and Sevenoaks,
to Tunbridge, will be in every respect the most
advantageous for the interests of the public in general,
and of the county in particular. That the line proposed
to be executed by the London and Brighton and South
Coast Railway appears to us to be better calculated to
secure these advantages, and to serve the interests and
convenience of Sevenoaks and its neighbourhood, than
any other plan that has been hitherto proposed."
Mr. W. LAXBARD, of Beechmont, seconded the reso-
lution.

The Noble CHAIRMAN, before putting the resolution,
expressed his regret that he should be the only one pre-
sent who entertained opinions in any way at variance
with those of the meeting. He was always anxious, if
possible, to think with his neighbours, but in this matter
he must differ from them ; for he thought they had not
considered sufficiently the extreme improbability that
Parliament would sanction any other lines next session
than those proposed toy the South-Eastern Company.
The Noble Marquis then put the resolution to the meet-
ing, which was carried by acclamation.
On the motion of Mr. HEnniEs, seconded by Mr.
WHAINsoN, a vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman.

OPENING OF NEW LINES.

The Seamer and Filey Branch cf the Scarborough
Railway was inspected by General Pasley on Thursday
last, and its opening was officially announced to take
place yesterday (Monday).
The delay in the opening of the branch line of the
London and North Western Branch to Bedford, from
the junction at Bletchley, has arisen from some subsi-
dence in a portion of the works. It is now finished, and
the opening is finally fixed for the 14th inst.
The Eastern Counties Branch to North Woolwich is
to be completed for public traffic before Christmas next.
The company are having powerful steam bridges, or
ferries, built for the transit of passengers across the
Thames. The line runs along the waterside of the Es-
sex marshes, and branches into the Thames Junction
and the Eastern Counties Colchester main line at the
Stratford station. Mr. Samuels is the acting engineer.
The Stamford and Peterborough was publicly opened
on Friday last ; Captain Coddington, the Assistant In-
spector of Railways, having examined the works on the
previous day, in company with Mr. C. P. Roney the
secretary to the Eastern Counties, to which company it
has been leased. It is twelves miles long.
The Hull and Beverley line has also received the