The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-03 00:00:00

MARGATE.

On Tuesday the South-Eastern Company's branch line
from Ramsgate to Margate was opened for passenger
traffic. A special train, conveying Mr. M•Gregor, Chair-
man of the South-Eastern Company, Viscotint Torring-
ton, Mr. Pritchard, and other directors, left the Brick-

layers' Arms station at a quarter before eleven A.M., for
Margate. The station at itamsgate was hung with flags
in honour of the occasion, and several additional car•

riageo with passengers having been attached to the train,
it prObeeded onwards to Margate. The length of the
line thus`. opened to the public is about 31 miles, con-
sisting of only a single line of. rail. At Margate the
event was celebrated as a general holiday, almost every
shop in the town being closed. The directors, on their
arrival, were received by Mr. Deputy Cobb and some of
the principal inhabitants, who acted as stewards of the
day. A procession of carriages, containing the direc-
tors, &c. was formed at the railway station, which,
headed by a band of music and flags, moved on the York
Hotel, The streets and windows and balconies of the
houses on the line of route were filled with ladies, who
welcomed the procession by waving their handkerchiefs,
and other tokens of satisfaction. A triumphal arch,
formed of evergreens, was also erected, and this at night
was tastefully illuminated. . •
At five o'clock the directors and their friends were
entertained by the inhabitants at the Assembly "Rooms,
where about 200 persons sat down to a sumptuous-din-
ner, Mr. Deputy Cobb filled the chair, and was sup
ported by Mr. M‘Gregor' Lord Torrington, Mr. Bodkin,
M.P., .the Right Hon. S. R. Lushington, Rev. W. E.
Hoskins, &c. Mr. M'Gregor, in returning thanks for
the toast of the South. Eastern direction said the Com-
pany had spent a quarter of a million of money in Par-
liamentary contests, in which they were endeavouring
to obtain direct lines for Margate and other places.
Parliament had already intrusted them with the con-
struction of a line from London to Rochester, a portioii
of which would be in the contractor's hands on the 12th
instant. The directors were now seeking for powers to
continue the line from Rochester to Uhilham, which
would not only shorten the distance between London
and Margate by twenty miles, but would also bring the
inhabitants of the latter town in communication with a
population of 200,000 souls at the other end of the
county. The company's branch line from Minster to
Deal would be opened in February next; in about twelve
months they would have a line to Rye; and in about
eighteen months they would have a continuous communi-
cation from Margate to Hastings.
After the proceedings of the dinner were concluded, a
special train left Margate at a quarter to ten o'clock,
which arrived in London at ten minutes past one o'clock
yesterday morning. -
The day was exceedingly favourable, and the arrange-
ments made by the stewards at Margate for the recep-
tion of their guests, both in the procession and at the
dinner, were of the most complete and spirited character.

RAILWAY LABOURERS WORKING ON SUNDAYS.—
At the Town-hall, Horsham, on Saturday last, the en-
gineer to the Horsham Branch Railway made an appli-
cation to the bench of magistrates, to grant permission
for thelabourers employed on the line to work on Sun-
days. He said it was necessary for a portion of the
labourers employed on the line to work on Sundays,
to prepare the temporary roads for the removal of
earth, which would prevent a number of men remaining
idle on Mondays. Applicant had found that when the
men were not enabled to commence work on Monday
mornings, it was with the greatest difficulty that they
could be got to work at all, as they began drinking, and
seldom returned for a week. The practice was adopted
on nearly all the lines at present iu course of construc-
tion, and had been found to prevent, in a great measure,
intoxication. Sir Charles Burrell, the chairm tn, most
positively refused to grant the application.