The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-24 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

WINDSOR, SLOUGH, AND STAINES ATMO-
SPHERIC. - PROPOSED AMALGAMATION
WITH THE SOUTH-WESTERN.

WINDSOR, TIIESDAY.—A meeting of the scripholders
in the late Windsor, &c. Atmospheric, took place this
day in the Town-hall. Mr. J. T. Bedborough presided,
and there were present Messrs. Ridgway, Wreford,
Cleave, Oxley, Corfield, C. Norris, Pearl, Minton,
Ewens, Clarke, Fowler, Foster, J. and G. Bedborough,
Gray, &c.

The following report was read to the meeting:—" The
provisional committee appointed at a public meeting of
the scripholders, held pursuant to adjournment, at the
Guildhall, Windsor, on the 2d instant, have to report the
following result of their negotiations with the directors
of the South-Western Railway Company and the Staines
and Richmond, namely :—The completion of the arrange-
ment for the amalgamation of the Windsor and Staines,
and the Staines and Richmond Companies. The basis of
an agreement for a new company, to be called the South-
Western, Staines, Windsor, and Farnborough Railway,
or some name comprising Staines and Windsor, having
for its object the most direct communication practicable
from Windsor, Staines, Hounslow, &c., to the London,
Richmond, and Farnham portions of the South-Western
Railway. Mr. Locke to be the engineer, and to fix the
amount, of capital (supposed at present to be near one
million). The Windsor and Staines, and the Staines and
Richmond amalgamated company to subscribe not ex-
ceeding 350,0001. (their original capital), the remainder
to be provided for by the South-Western Company.
The shares to be 201; deposit 21. 2s. The scrip of the
Windsor and Staines Company, upon which a deposit of
21. 2s. per share has been paid, to be exchanged, with
the balance remaining of such, for scrip in the new
company. The past expenses of the amalgamated com-
panies to be charged to the new company. The directors
to represent as near as possible the capital subscribed,
namely, Windsor three, Staines four, South-Western
eight. Four per cent. interest to be allowed on all paid-
up calls from the passing of the Act to the completion
of the lines. The South-Western to guarantee a rental
of four and a half per cent. on the gross outlay from the
completion of the line, and one-half the profits, and to
have the option to purchase the undertaking, by the
transfer of 151. fully paid-up capital in the new company.
It is also arranged that the railway approach to, and the
terminus at Windsor, shall be made in the locality most
approved of by her Majesty's Commissioners of Woods
and Forests and by the Provost and Fellows of Eton
Collage, and may be used as a common approach and
terminus by any other railway company under proper
stipulations."
The committee, in concluding their report, drew a
comparison between the offers which had been respec-
tively made by the directors of the South-Western and
Great Western Companies in favour of the terms pro-
posed by the former.
The CHAIRMAN then read an amended report from
the committee, which detailed at considerable length
the proceedings which had taken place at the several
meetings which had been held previously and subse-
quently to the dissolution of the Atmospheric Company.
That report thus concluded:—" The committee, in al-
luding to the proceedings of others, are actuated solely
by the necessity there exists for some decisive and
united course being at once taken. The committee
have named the sum of 150,000/. as the amount which
the Windsor scripholders shall be entitled to subscribe,
that being the amount of the capital of the late corn
pany; and for this 150,0001. they will be entitled to ap-
point three directors, being at the rate of one director
for every 50,000/. It follows, that if a large portion of
the scrip of the late company is abstracted from the
company connected with the South-Western, and car-
ried to the Great Western project, that a corresponding
reduction must be made in the number of directors; and
an equally corresponding diminution of the credit and
importance of the scripholders, and the interest felt in
the undertaking, will be the result.
The CHAIRMAN stated, in reply to questions put to
him by two or three scripholders, that the number of
shares held by directors in the late company who sup-
ported the plan proposed by the Great Western Com-
pany was 750; that three directors had given in their
adhesion to the South-Western arrangement; and that
four directors had, up to the present time, remained
neutral. The Chairman further stated that the terms
which had been originally offered by the Great Western
had been considerably modified since a negotiation had
been opened with the directors of the Seuth-Western
Company. He had no means of knowing how many
shareholders had agreed to enter into the South- Western
arrangements; but he thought he might say the holders
of about one-third of the shares had consented.
Mr. MINTON, one of the provisional committee, stated
that he was strongly in favour of accepting the terms
offered by the South-Western Company, considering it
would be an act of madness to go on with the project if
the Government or the Crown were opposed to them.
Even if the authorities of Eton College were opposed to
them, they ought, in his opinion, to hesitate, and be ex-
tremely cautious, before proceeding further.
Mr. BEDBOROUGH said the South-Western Railway
Company were determined to endeavour. under any cir-
cumstances, to get a line into Windsor, whether the
holders of the scrip in the late Atmospheric Company
joined them or not.

After a very lengthened discussion, it was moved by
Mr. PEARL, seconded by Mr. J. CLEAVE, and carried,

.. ,
" That the report be approved, and that the following
be appointed members of the committee of manage-
ment for the Windsor district of the new company:—
Messrs. J. J. Bedborougb, Samuel Minton, and Caleb
Norris."

Mr. MINTON again begged to observe that he thought
.t would be the height of madness to go on if they were
:o be opposed by the Court and the College of Eton.

PROSPECTIVE OPENINGS.

The Newcastle and Berwick, between Newcastle and
lforpeth, is announced to be opened in the early part of
the ensuing month. The whole line is expected to be
finished by February next. The bridges over the Tyne
and Tweed, now in course of erection, will occupy two
years at least era they can be opened. The extension of
the North Shields line to Tynemouth will be thrown
open to the public in a few weeks.
The Whitehaven and Harrington Railway is in so for-
ward a state as to promise its opening for public traffic
in the early part of October.
The South Devon will be opened on the atmospheric
system of traction in about three months. The engines
at the Exeter and Countess Weir stations are completed,
and have been tried. The valves are being fixed to the
tubing, and the connecting pipes for the engines will be
forthwith laid down. Mr. Samuda was on the line on
Tuesday last superintending the works in progress.
The Bridlington branch,, the pr,perty of the Hull and
Selby, extending from Hull to Bridlington by way of
Beverley and Driffield, a distance of thirty-one miles,
is appointed to be publicly opened on Tuesday the Gth of
next month.

The Margate line, a branch of the South-Eastern from
Ramsgate, is on the eve of completion, and will be thrown
open to the public in a few days.
The Hertford branch of the Eastern Counties was
opened yesterday as a double line. General Pasley
certified it last Sunday. The Hertford people are to
have the benefit of express trains.
The Bedford branch of the London and Birmingham
will be completed the first week in October.

LANCASTER AND CARLISLE.—On the 27th, the direc-
tors caused two trial trips to be made between Carlisle and
Penryth, being a distance of about eighteen miles, but
that portion of the line is not yet open to the
public. General Pasley, on Fri.lay last, inspected
the line between Lancaster and Kendal, who cer-
tified that it was fit for public use as a single line.
As might naturally be supposed, the occasion gave
rise to considerable interest and bustle both at Lan-
caster and Kendal. About ten o'clock on Mohday fore-
noon last, a powerful engine, with a long train of car-
riages attached to it, which were filled up by a number
of the directors, shareholders, and ladies and gentlemen
of Lancaster and the surrounding neighbourhood,
started from the Lancaster station. The train went off
at an easy speed, which was gradually increased, and
arrived at Kendal about twelve o'clock, amid the cheers
of a large concourse of people who had assembled at the
spot to witness the arrival of the train. Soon afterwards
a lunch was spread out at the Whitehall building, to
which upwards of 100 sat down. The train again re-
turned to Lancaster, where it arrived about four o'clock,
having been joined by Mr. E. W. Hasa, the chairman
of the board of directors, and other directors. The
party dined together at Lancaster, Mr. Hasell in the
chair. According to the statement of the chairman,
made at the last half-yearly meeting, held at Penrith,
the whole of the line will be opened to the public in the
course of next month. Looking at the vast deal of work
which remains to be done on certain parts of the
line, it is almost impossible that this will be the case at
the time mentioned. However, the exertions of the en-

gineers are indefatigable, using their best efforts for
the speedy and effectual completion of the works and
final opening.

IMPROVEMENT ON THE 11.OND,N AND NORTH-WEST-
ERN.-Of all improvements now in proe're,s on metro
piaitan lines, the most extensive aro at Euston-square.
About sixty or sevonty houses that formed the east sitie
of Whittlebury and Cardington-streets have disap-
peared; also those in Birchmere- street, and two or three
small thoroughfares that lead to it. They have been
cleared away, and labourers aro actively engaged in ex-
cavating the area some fifteen or sixteen feet below the
level of the main roadway, so as to carry out the in-
ter.ded alterations. Spacious warehouses, carriage
stores, and repairing buildings are springing up. The
principal entrance to the station in Drummond-street
will undergo alteration. In a line with it, however,
at the south-west corner of Whittlebury-street, a
banking or receiving-house is to be erected, and ad-
jacent to this, at the back, running the whole length
of the street, about eight hundred feet, will be formed
a station, so as to correspond with the one
on the opposite side, both verging into the per-
manent line. At the end of this edifice nearest Drum-
mond-street a commodious station, or pavilion, will be
built for the express accommodation, it is said, of her
Majesty and the Royal Family, when travelling on the
line. It will be distinct from the other portion of the
terminus, and will be approached by a suitable entrance.
The building will be of the Doric order, and its interior
will afford an elegant suite of waiting-rooms. Further
up the same side of the above street, another entrance to
the terminus will be formed, leading to a range of stores
for parcels (a new department), and the auditor's
office. They will be three stories in height, and in
unison with the general style of architecture of the other
parts. To the left of the extreme end of this second
station, extending over the left of Cardington-street,
nearly to the Hampstead road, and beneath where Birch-
mere-street stood, immense buildings are in course
of erection. One, the carriage-repairing department,
is upwards of three hundred feet in length, and
120 feet in width, the roof supported by 50 iron co-
lumns. There is also a spacious smith factory, with an
octagon peculiarly built shaft 80 feet in height to carry
off the flues of nine forges. The line of rails leading
from the station to what is termed the usual permanent
way are being increased to three times their present
number, so as to run into the duplicate station and meet
the great increase of traffic. This addition has been
effected by removing the bridge which carried Birch-
mere-street over the line into Seymour-street, and about
250 feet of the bricked embankment or retaining walls
on each side. The large workshop on the Seymour-
street side of the station is to be pulled down, to make
way for these improvethents. The open quadrangle in
front of the present station will be considerably enlarged,
and waiting-rooms, booking-offices, and a public vesti-
bule will be formed in a buil4ing of Grecian architecture,
to be erected in the centre facing the grand portico, and
communicating with the station on either side. These
works will necessarily occupy a considerable period.