The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-03 00:00:00

THE LATE DISASTERS ON THE WORKS.

Before the meeting separated,
The CHAIRMAN adverted to the late disasters on the
line. They had put themselves into the hands of the
most eminent engineer in Scotland, and the line was sur-
veyed before it was opened to the public. Certainly,
misfortunes have happened to the line, but they have
been grossly and greatly exaggerated. You may have
seen a letter in the newspapers from the secretary, in-
forming you of the extent and of the original cost of the
bridges which have fallen down. That statement is cor-
rect, and, therefore, you may judge yourselves of the
cost required for the reparation of the bridges.
The expense is very trifling inde eeneeide,bvueie
tecneere-
tainly we have suffered greatly
that has occurred in travelling upon the line. The
traffic has been greatly interrupted. In order to meet
the convenience of the public, we have been at very
great expense, not sparing ourselves any way. I am
happy to acquaint you that we will be able, if the wea-
ther continues such as it is at the present moment, to
open the line throughout in ten or fourteen days. I
have only to say that no one could lament more than
the directors did this matter. We, of course, being
placed in the more prominent responsibility, have felt
it most severely, and it has occupied a considerable
share of our thoughts. I believe that it will be ad-
mitted that the flood from which we suffered was a most
severe one. The line was rapidly got together. The
lime and whinstone required time to cement, and time
had not been given fur that to take place. These
bridges, however, would have fallen, whether or not
the railway had been opened ; and, therefore, it is
merely the loss of traffic which we have in the mean-
time lost that we have sustained. I believe that we have
gained more by traffic since the railway was opened than
the loss we have experienced.
In answer to a question as to whether General Pasley
had given any report to the directors on the present
condition of the line,
The CHAIRMAN said that they had not received any
written report from that gentleman on the subject. He
was, however, happy to acquaint them that General
Pasley had in conversation stated that he was most
highly satisfied with the line, and with the new repairs
whicli had been made upon the works. General Pasley
believed that they were most substantial, and were most
properly done, and he expressed his most complete satis-
faction with the works now in progress. He (the Chair-
man) belii,ved that there was no better line in the king-
dom than the North British, The misfortune they had
met with had c•-rtainly caused them to take very great
pains ea ith the line to Ilawick. Every attention had
been paid to that branch, and he could assure them that
not a single conduit had given way in the works there.
In reference to the North British, General Pasley, he
believed, almost authorised him to say that he was ex-
tremely well pleased with the line, such as it was, and
that he hod enly one fault to find along the whole line.
His rep in would be published in the newspapers so soon
as it was given in.

RUMOURED OFFERS OF LEASE.
A Shareholder asked if there was any truth in the re-
port as to an offer to lease the North British ?

The CHAIRMAN felt great pleasure in answering the
question. At the York meeting, which had lately taken
place, suggestions had been made for amalgamating with
the North British line. These suggestions had not been
put into anv shape whatever. The subject had been
discussed at York, and Mr. lludson had expressed his
readiness to enter into terms with this company. No
terms had yet been proposed to them. Some gentlemen
had come from York with the view of having some dis-
cussion about the subject; but the matter was not in any
shape in which the directors could give any opinion.
Tl.e shareholders might depeml upon it that the matter
would ha seriously considered in its present aspect by the
directors, who would give a dispassionate opinion with-
out reference to themselves at all. He might further
mention that this was not the only approach that had
been made to the North British Company, and therefore
they were in a better position than they were probably
aware of. There was more than one bidder for the
company--(Applause.) The directors would do nothing
in the matter without having the full consent and appro-
bation of the shareholders. He hoped that in any com-
munication they might have with the York and Newcas-
tle Company, the directors would get the approbation of
tiv, shareholders for whatever they might advise them to
consent to.

The Right Hon. H. Labouebre, Chief Secretary
for Ireland, who arrived in town a few days since to at-
tend a meeting of his colleagues, will leave for Dublin
vither on Tuesday or Wednesday.