The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-14 00:00:00

SNETITETAI,
AND WEST MIDLAND RAI 1. WAY.
(From the Sizei;idd radepenci'e,a.)i
We alluded, a short time ago, to the agreement of emal-
gamation between this Company and the IManchester,
Sheffield, and Midland, and we gave the substance of the
statement of the former Company, in which they-acnited the--=
Manchester, Sheffield, and Michell(' of a gross' 4.ireich,ete•
faith. So far as-we have seen and heard, the statement yet'
remains unanswered. We now insert the petition of the
Sheffield, Bakewell, and West Midland Company, in which
they lay their complaint before Parliament, and pray that
the Bill of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Midland may be
rejected, or that they may be heard before the Committee in
oppositioa.L—
To the Honourable the Commons of the ITnited Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.
The humble petition of the undersigned Provisional Di-
rectors of the proposed Sheffield, Bakewell, lied West
Midland Railway Company, and on behalf of ouch
Company,
' Sheweth,—That a Bill has been brought into your Ho-
nourable lionie, for making a railway, to be called the Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Midland Junction Railway, which Bill
is entitled, "A Bill for making a Railway from Sheffield to
Chesterfield and Bakewell, with a Branch in connexion there•
with, to he called, " The Manchester, Sheffield, and Midland
Junction Railway."
That your petitioners humbly represent to your Honour-
able House, that the promoters of the said intended Man-
chester, Sheilield, and Midland Junction Railway- Company,
in presenting their petition to your Henourable House' fir
leave to bring in the said Bill, and in bringing in such Bill,
and in seeking to apply for the purposes of such Bill, certain
funds or capital represented by the scrip of the said Com-
pany, which is now issued and in the market, are acting con-
toary to agreement, and to good faith with your petitioners,
as your petitioners are ready to verify.
That the measure proposed by your petitioners' Compaey,
(the plans and sections whereof have been deposited in the
Private Bill-office of your Honourable House, and with the
Board of _Trade, Pursuant to the standing orders of your 'Ho-
nourable House), was and is a railway from Sheffield to
Bakewell, with branches respectively to Chesterfield and to
Castleton, a measure which is, in part, a competing line with
that of the said proposed Manchester, Sheffield, and Midland
Junction Railway.
That YoUr petitioners had made arrangements for the pro-
curing ;hire necessary capital for carrying into effect their
sail undertaking as a separate and independent project, and
were on the point of appropriating their shares for that pur-
pose, when certain overtures for an arrangement between the
said two Companies were received by your petitioners from
Wilson Overand, Esq., and others, as chairman and directors
mid on behalf of the said proposed Manchester, Sheffield, and
Midland Junction Riilway Company.
That certain negotiations took place thereupon between
the committee of direction of the two Companies, with a
view to such arrangement, and your petitioners were re-
quested by the promoters of the said proposed Manchester,
Sheffield, and Midland Junction Railway, not to appropriate
or issue:lli-elf shares, during the pendency of such negotia-
tions, and your petitioners acceded to such request.
That em'in the 7th day-of November last, an agreement
was concluded and signed between certain of the provisional
directors of and on behalf of the said Manchester, Sheffield,
and Midland Junction Railway Company, of the one part,
and certain oft he-provisional directors of and on behalf of the
said Sheilieldeßekewell, and West Midland Railway Com-
pany of the Other part, whereby it was (among other things)
agreed between the said Companies:
Ist. That the two Companies should be, and the same
were thereby consolidated and united into one Company,
under the name of " The Sheffield and North Derbyshire
Union Railway."

2d. That there should be an united board of directors for
the consolidated Company.
3d. That a capital should be raised sufficient to execute
the united schemes of the two Companies, which was thereby
fixed at 1,600,000/. in 40,000 shares of 401. each.
4th. That of theebove 40,000 shares, 25,000 shares silt:mid
be allotted among the then proprietors of the Manchester,
Sheffield, and Midland Junction Company ; 6,000 shares
should be placed at the disposal of the then executive
board of the Sheffield, Bakewell, &id West Midland Com-
pany, and the remainder should be disposed of as therein
mentioned.

sth. That each Czonpany should proceed separately to
give the requisite notices, and make the county and parish
deposits of the plan of its own scheme as if to ground a sepa-
rate application to Parliament.

6th. That the expenses of both Companies then incurred.
and to be incurred, should be paid out of the consolidated
fund of the united Companies.
7th That the consolidated Board of Directors should pro-
ceed to Parliament for both projects in one Act, with such
modifications in regard to those portions of the two schemes,
which were common to both projects, viz., between Sheffield
and Chesterfield, as should be determined on in the manner
therein mentioned.

Bth. That the Sheffield, Bakewell, and West Midland
Railway Company should not issue their allotment letters
or scrip.
9th. That the present scrip of the Manchester, Sheffield,
and Midland Junction Company should be called in and re-
issued in shares of 401. each, under clause 4th of the agree..
ment ; and that a new subscription deed should be prepared
and signed to embrace the united schemes.
That the consolidation of the two Companies, by virtue of
the above agreement, was announced by advertisement under
the hands ofNbe'clairmen of both Companies, in the public
newspapers pablished in Sheffield, in the said month or
November last.

That your petitioners and their Company have, on '...tteir
part, fulfilled, and, in good faith, acted upon the sai, agree-
ment, and relying thereupon, did not issue their allotment
letters or scrip, and have since taken no mec„ns to raise a
separate capital, as was stipulated by such agreement.
That your petitioners have called upon and required the
said Manchester, Sheffield, and Midland Junction Railway
Company, and the, promoters thereof, on several occasions, to
fulfil their part of the said agreement by calling in their pre-
sent scrip, in order to the issue of the proposed new capital,
and by the preparation and signature of a new subscription
contract, in order to embrace your petitioners' projected rail-
way, as well as their own, agreeably with the ninth clp.tme
of the said agreement ; yet, notwithstanding their promises
of compliance, they have hitherto failed, and now at length
refuse to do so.

That your petitioners are ready to verify the above allega-
tions when and as your lion curable House shall permit.
That your petitioners humbly represent toyour Uonourable
House, that their proposed railway, called the Sheffield,
liakewell, and West Midland (so deposited in the Private
Bill-office Of your Honourable House, as aforesaid), is a
better, cheaper, and more comprehensive line, or scheme
of railway communication, than the proposed Manchester,
Sheffield, and Midland Junction line; affords accommoda-
tion to a greater extent of country, provides a more direct
communication between the larger towns and the, important
i ,terests of the district, raid would be executed at infinitely
less cost.
That the lily:, proposed for the Manchester, Sheffield, and
Midland, unction Railway, is not, moreover, the best line
which the country admits of; that it cannot be executed for
the sum at which it is estimated ; and that there is not a.
traffic adequate to meet so great an expenditure as the ma),_
ing of such a line would involve.
That the following are some of the proposed work's on the
said line (as appears by the section thereof), oug h the
total length thereof is but 2S miles :
Tunnelling, nearly 6 miles.
Viaducts,!:...... -2 miles.

- •
Embankments, ...3 of 30 feet or snore, maximum height.
64
5 of 50 feet " ..
c,
2 of 60 fee:c 4, di
it 1
of 70 feet " ~
Cuttings, .....--6 cji 30 feet or more, maximum depth.
64 a of 50 feet " "
46 5 of 60 feet " 16 •
if 3 of 70 feet " 66
" 1 of 80 feet " "
41 2 of 110 feet "
Crossing thirty streets or public carriage roads, in the town
of Sheffield alone.
Your petitioners, therefore. humbly pray your Honour-
able House, that the said Bill for making the said proposed
Manchester, Sheffield, and Midland Junction Railway, may
not be permitted to proceed any further.
Or, if it should please your Honourable House to refer the
said Bill to a Committee of your Honourable House, that
your petitioners, by themselves, their counsel, agents, and
witnesses, may be at liberty to verify this their petition be-
fore such Committee, and that such Committee be directed
to report thereon to your Honourable House, before proceed-
ing with such Bill. And if such Bill should be proceeded with
by the said Committee, then, that your petitioners may be per-
ini tted to be heard before such Committee,
by themselves, their
counsel, agents, and witnesses, against the preamble and provi-
sions of such Bill. And that such Committee may be in-
structed to entertain the said proposed Sheffield, Bakewell,
and West Midland Railway, and the plan and section there-
of, lodged in the Private Bill-office of your Honourable
and competing
lit
House, as a project before this present Parliament, and as
a
said proposed Manchester, Shef-
field,a - and to hear your peti-
tioners, and their counsel, agents, and witnesses, in support
thereof.
idlilnaendwit Junction the
R
Or, that your Honourable House would be pleased to make s
such other order, .ind to afford your petitioners such other
And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.
sreeelimef
mineetht.eprenuses, as to your Honourable House shall
JOHN CARR, Chairman.
WILLIAM JACKSON, T. B. TURTON,
EDWIN UNWIN, BENJ. VICKERS,
WILLIAM WRIGHT, THOMAS WILEY.

A CANDIDATE FOR THE WEST RIDING.—We have
beard some conversation in this neighbourhood as to the
man to be proposed at the next general election as the col-
league of Lord Morpeth, and Mr. Cobden's name has been
mentioned-. We trust that this suggestion will find univer-
sal aeceptaisee —Shifold Independent.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE MILLWALL CHEMICAL
Woaxs.—Thursday evening, Mr. Baker held an inquest at the Blue
Lion, Montague-street, epitalfields, on the body of James Barclay,
aged sixty years. Deceased was a labourer at Messrs. Pontlfex's
chemical works, at Millwall, Poplar. On Tuesday fortnight he was,
as usual, attending some portion of the machinery driven by steam,
having to stand on a plank elevated a few foot from the ground,
when he turned giddy, and, in endeavouring to preserve his balance,
his hand caught in the cogs of one of the wheels, by which. he was
much lacerated. He was taken to the Dreadnought hospital-ship.
where the wound was dressed, and he was subsequently attended at
home by a medical gentleman, but erysipelas supervened, and he
died cm Sunday last. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidet,tal
Death."

STRANGE SCARCITY OF RATS.—During the list few
days fine frill-groan rats have been fetching the extraordinary high
price of ninspence each, in consequence of the scarcity and consider-
able difficulty in procuring a sufficient quantity for the various rat
matches which take place every week. It is a singular fact that
rats are now much dearer than rabbits, and in one instance last
week, where 200 rats were killed, the principal portion averaged
teupence each. They are chiefly caught at the horse slaughter-
houses in St. George's-fields, Southwark.
THERE IS GREAT VIRTUE IN AN " IF."—The Liver-
pool Courant informs its readers that the Duke of Portland has
offered to head a subscription list with 25,000/. " IF an effective plait
can be devised to thwart the unconstitutional proceedings of the
Longue." In other words, his Grace has wagered 25,0001. to nothing
that the League is irresistitdo. _

We regret to announce the demise of Lady Elizabeth
Fielding, the eldest daughter of the late and sister of the present Earl
of Ilehester, who expired at an early hour ou Thursday morning, after
a short illness, at her late residence in Sackville-street. Her Lady-
ship was born in November, 1773, and married first In April, 1796,,
William Davenport Talbot, Esq.. of Laceck Abbey, Wilts, who died
in July, HMO and secondly in April, 1804, Rear-Admiral Charles
Fielding, who died in September, 1837. By her Ladyship's first mar-
riage she has left issue one surviving son, the Countess of Mount
Edgectunbe and Miss Fielding being the issue of the second mar-
riage. tier La,lyship was the eldest sister of the Marchioness of
Lansdowne and closely related to several other noble families. The
amenity anal charitable disposition of the deceased lady have long
been proverbial, and her loss will be severely felt among those by
whom she was Mat known.

DEATH 07 TWO NURSES IN WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL.
—On Thursday one of the nurses of the hospital of Westminster, in
York-street, expired in the new institution at the Broad Sanctuary.
from fever caught while in attendance on another nurse, who is also
deceased. • It appears that during last week, the latter, who had been
attending to a patient sneaked with fever of a typhus character.
was herself taken suddenly ill, apparently suffering from the same
malady. Eyeryt fling was done for her by the niedical officers and
the other nurse, but she ultimately expired. Her attendant was in
the same way attacked, and, as above stated, yesterday expired
from the same came.