The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-15 00:00:00

fllE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY_MORNING, DECEMBER 15,

•
!about to read the report when he was called to order by
A GENTLEMAN, who exprossed his anxiety to know
whether Mr. Edwards represented property in the bo-
rough or net ?
Mr. EDWARDS—I am an elector of the borough, and
that is enough.—(Hetir.) I oppose the removal of the
present bridge. The question is, why did the Hon.
Gentleman sign a report in favour of the removal of the
brides, ?—(Cries of" No, no." alai much coefu,ion.)
elr. ii Awes :quire e ii the report to which he re-
ferred was the third one.
Mr. Feeweens said it WaS.
Mr. HAWES said the third report did not make any
recommendation of the kind. Ile read an extract from
it which stated:—" We do not pronounce any opinion on
the site of the new bridge, but considerations might be
adduced in favour of the present bridge, or one in juxta-
position with it."—(Cheers.)
Mr. EDWARDS intimated that there were a sufficient
number of men it business present, to bear in mind that
they were on the eve of a g meral election.—(Hisses.)
Mr. ARCHBUTT proposed the first resolution, which
was to the following effect:—
" That this meeting has received with deep regret and
alarm the announcement of an intended application to
Parliament for the construction of a new bridge at
Charing-cress. That such a project, involving, as it
must do, the destruction of Westminster-bridge, will be
ruinous to existing interests, and cause the most serious
loss and inconvenience to the inhabitants of Westmin-
ster and Lambeth. That while it destroys the only
direct line of thoroughfare between the rapidly increas-
ing districts of Westminster and the Surrey-roads, it
will cause an inconvenient increase and concentration of
traffic to the already overcrowded thoroughfare between
Charing cross, the \Vest-end, mid City, and will only
supply en additional unnecessary accommodation to a
district already amply provided for by the existing
bridges."
He said, the remarks of the Chairman could be amply
confirmed. He, and others in the vicinity of the present
bridge, were alarmed, lest the surveys of a life time should
be placed in jeopardy by- the construction of a bridge not
justified by any public necessity at all commensurate
with the injury which it would inflict.—(Hear.) He had
lived in the Westminster-road for the last forty years,
and he had never heard that it did not offer the most
ample accommodation required by the public ; and he
and others had purchased property in the neighbourhood,
believing that the bridge would not be removed ; and,
consequently, they effected a safe investment of their
capital. No alteration could be effectually made for the
bete fit of the public. Those who had seen the bridge,
since the cumbersome balustrade had been removed,
could not fail to be coneesnced that no better spot on the
river could be selected for obtaining an excellent view
of the new Houses of Parliament ; but the beautiful
effect of the view would be destroyed if the bridge were
removed.
Mr. PAGE WOOD seconded the proposition. He said
he held the lease of a house in Great George-street,
and, therefore, his loss would not be so great as those
who had invested the whole of their capital in the
neighbourhood. He agreed with the Chairman that the
public had not declared in favour of the preposed
bridge, that no meeting had been held on the subject,
and that they might reasonably believe that public feel-
ing pointed the other way. He had looked into the
history of the bridge, and had found that as early
as the reign of George 11., not a time remarkable for
furnishing the pubic with the facilities of communica-
tion compared with the present. Several projects were
laid before a committee which was appointed at that
time, as well as petitions ; and the result was that the
present site was chosen as likely to be most beneficial to all.
The bridge ought not now to be removed except at the
representations of those who lived in its vicinity. The
expense of the approaches would be much greater than
the bridge itself. He knew this frcm experience in the
building of London-bridge. That bridge cost 500,0001.
hut the approaches cost 1,000,0001.—(Hear.) But by
continuing the bridge in its present position this large
sum would be saved. Then the question of convenience
arose. No one, it seemed, would be benefited by
throwing a bridge over to Charing-cross, and the pro-
prietors of the existing bridges, with the parties resid-
ing in the Westminster-road and St. George's-street
would be injured without the slightest public advantage.
—(Hear, hear) Then the Woods and Forests had been
intrusted with the expenditure of 70,000/. for the con-
struction of a nest/ street, running to Shaftesbury-terrace,
keeping the palace to its right, and running towards
Tothill-fields ; and if the bridge were made, all the
traffic requiring to cross the river would have to go
round to Charing-cross to do so.—(Hear, hear.) It was
also urged that this bridge would be a convenience as the
railway termini would be at the Charing-cross-bridge,
but he believed the very reverse would be the case. The
result would be, that a crowd would be there from morn-
ing until night, which would block up the thoroughfares
which led to the Houses of Legislature and the western
part of the metropolis. The commissioners of West
minster-bridge was also commissioners for widening
Cockspur-street, because it was the avenue which led to
the Houses of Parliament, and yet they were asked to con-
centrate the trafficin that particular spot. He trusted that
a meeting would be held in Westminster, and that if
they allowed Mr. Barry the free use of Westminster-
hall, that they could not extend the same courtesy to
him with respect to the bridge.—(dear.)
Mr. COPE said he was in a position to give a disinte-
rested opinion as he was entirely unconnected with the
borough. He considered that the present bridge was
is proper outlet from Lambeth to the Houses of Parlia-
ment. the courts of law, and St. James's park, in which
they could recreate themselves by simply crossing the
bridge ; but it would be placed at the distance of a
quarter of a mile if the proposed bridge were made.
He considered, however, that if there was any public
money to be spared for the purpose, that it ought not to
he devoted to making a new bridge, and certainly not
for making new approaches, but for purchasing and
opening free to the public Vauxhall, Watterloo.
Southwark, and other bridges.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
The new bridge would not cost-leas that a million, the
bridge itself 350,000/. ; but as the property belonging
to the bridge would not yield more than 100,0001, there
would be a deficiency of 250,000/. A million would pur-
chase the three bridges, Waterloo,4oo,ooo/ to 450,0001.•
Southwark, 100,0001., and Vauxhall 200,0001. The
new bridge was, therefore, not required by the wants of
the public, and he believed that Mr. Barry was the prime
mover of the removal of the bridge, because he seemed
to entertain the erroneous notion that his building
would be seen to better advantage.
Mr. GRISSELL felt bound to set Mr. Cope right in the
observations he had just made. He asserted, and he
believed all present were aware of his connexion with
Mr. Barry, that that gentleman had no more to do with
the movement for the removal of the bridge than any
person present —(Hear, hear.) For his own, part he
believed that if Mr. Barry was consulted he would be j
found to be in favour of the present site of the bridge.
After a few further observations from Mr. COPE.
The CHAIRMAN put the resolution to the meeting, and
declared it to be carried unanimously.
Mr. ELLIOTT moved the second resolution, which was
to the following effect :—" That the owners of pro.
perty, lessees, and inhabitants of the parts adjacent,
to Westminster-bridge have taken premises and laid out
their capital in confidence that no interference would be
permitted with the ancient thoroughfare of Westmin-
ster-bridge, which is already adequate to the public
wants, and because, by immemorial usage, the recog-
nised means of access from Surrey to Westminster and
its vicinity."
He moved the resolution as an inhabitant of Lambeth
of upwards of 40 years' standing; and as such, he must
confess that he had viewed with great alarm the absurd
proposition to remove the bridge to Charing-cross--
(hear, hear)—because if such a project was carried into
effect, he would venture to predict it would ruin half the
inhabitants of that neighbourhood and Westminster
also.—(Hear, hear.) They were not to be silenced by the
talk of compensation, because there was little doubt they
would be treated with as much of that commodity as the
inhabitants of Fish-street-hill received on the removal
of London-bridge.—(Hear, hear.) He had no doubt
that Parliament would scout the proposition that had
been brought forward for the removal of Westminster-
bridge, and would place the parties bringing it forward
in the situation they deserved.—(Hear, hear.) The in-
habitants of that neighbourhood had already had a tasat
of the effects of stopping up the bridge, and there could
be no doubt, if it was removed altogether, ruin would
stare them in the face. He trusted the Commissioners
of Westminster bridge Estates would protect their
tenants, and not allow them to be ruined by the fancies
or e(nHefarer.m)
thAen
arti-
Civil
Journal, so completely embodiedhis thoughts
Engineers' r
lasteste d
wpetterkt
uptot
" We fear tha construction
ntal to eat
ill
stine interests, and cause the
thegth.setsjuj°l3bijsu7e4irtobirtigf etrihnaot interested
e oul dorfetandi
this
t nteowthe
bridgem e e twi e
dtheestr
ienyh atbhiet a nts
directof
line
eeset-t
winger. It will
from Pimlico, through the Park and Great
Westminster-bridge, to the Elephant
trijOinc,em,vilelnnieontceontloy
street, over
George- s
the Surrey -roads, but it will be the cause
and Castle and
traffic through' the already over.
'ng the
of increasing
from Charing-cross to the City,
crowded thoroughfares
and quicker, to go from the
ass it is now far nearer mostgreatestde
thoroughfare
alle hton and Dover Railways,
bridge to the City, the r g
t don of the South•
new s
ent-street over Westminster-
bridge to
Culotuhrntastealnyd
to the
entl this traffic,
Western R s„d rouse
iilway ;will be directed along
if this new bridge be constructed. quwill .be a distance of a
bridge to the
Vauxhall
the &rand ; and besides, there -
mile through Westminster from y
will be entirely
site a the propos. d new bridge.
that
the circuitous
cut off from Surrey side'
"cePtilig by
to the
route over those two bridges. fey a reference
map of London, it will be- seen that if this new bridge
be carried over the river at right angles to the shore at
right angles to the shore at Whitehall-place, the end on
.
the Surrey side will almost come in context with
the foot of Charing-cross-bridge I Surely the direct
eemmileieation !rem Charing-cross over this last bridge
a eeiele eec newel:arm ior the public, without intrud-
fea ;seedier . itr:in a stone's throw.
ty:.v tee new 1), idge sh-uld be removed from the
pr-4,nt Wesitn:nster idge we CaIIDOL devise.
bridge teieht be constructed on the eastern aide
of the present beelge, and the latter pulled down when
the new one is erected, as was done with old London-
bridge. By removing Westminster-bridge, the only laud
view from which a perspeinive view can be obtained of
the new llffuses of Parliament, will be lost, and, as we
before stated, all tee elaborate and minute sculpture
ant decoratmns will not be seen. To get a view of the
grand faeede, we shall be obliged to go in one of the
river steamers, and catch a transient glimpse as the ves-
sel passes along.
" Can it be supposed that Parliament will sanction
such a scheme, to the destruction and despoliation of all
the valuable interests connected with the trade and pro-
perty in Westminster and Lambeth? and ultimately
cause another bridge to be constructed, at the expense of
the public, somewhere above the new Parliament Houses,
which must follow if Westminster-bridge be removed
from the present site."
Then WI been 691110 talk of their having a foot bridge

from Lambeth Palace, but that would be no compensa•
• tion for their old Westminster-bridge.
Mr. Wtsnaw seconded the resolution, as the repre-
sentative ef many of the lessees of property in the neigh-
bourhood of Westminster-bridge. He trusted that the
most determined opposition would be made by the in-
habitants of that district to the removal of the bridge
from is s present site.
After a few ebst rvations from Mr. EDWARDS,
The CHAIRMAN put the resolution to the meeting, and
declared it to be carried unanimously.
Mr. WILKINSON moved the next resolution. The duty
that be had come there to perform, he was happy to
say, was far lighter than he had expected; before he
heard the speech of their worthy Chairman, and of his
friend, Mr. Grissell. He had expected that they would have
bad to encounter the opposition of the Government, and
also, that of the architect of the new llouses of Parliament.
Their worthy Chairman had, however, told them, and
his authority was of great weight, that the Government
would only study the wishes of the public—(Hear, hear)
—and Mr. Grissell had stated that Mr. Barry (lid not
wish the removal of the site of Westminster-bridge.
Their forefathers had, after great consideration, fixed
upon the site of the present bridge, and if that site was
of importance then, that importance had been increased
a hundredfold at the present day.—(ffearr, hear.) He
believed that the present site of Westminster-bridge
was the best that could be adopted, and
that to leave it a blank, and erect the bridge
elsewhere, was a matter of equal impossibility.
and impolicy.—(Hear, hear.) The adoption of such a
course would be attended with the greatest inconveni-
ence, and would prevent all access to the inhabitants of
that locality to the Courts of Law and to the Houses of
Parliament. As to what had been said by Mr. Edwards
as to the course pursued by their worthy Chairman in
the Committee on Westminster•bridge in the House of
Commons, he must allow him to say that there was not
a single syllable in the report to which he had referred
against the bridge being rebuilt on the present site.—
(Hear, hear.) He hoped that with respect to that Mr.
Edwards was now satisfied that he had found out a mare's
nest. Well, but if the Government were satisfied with
the present site of the bridge ; and if Mr. Barry was
content with it the question then was, who had origi-
nated
the idea of its removal, and what was the object
of doing so ?—(Hear, hear.) He thought both these
questions might be answered, by reference to a letter in
the Times of that day. That letter afforded a clue to
who the parties were that were promoting it, and what
was their object, because that letter called upon the
public not to give, at their own expense, an easier ap-
proach to the South-Western Railway to a proposed ter-
minus in the neighbourhood of Charing-cross.—(Hear,
hear.) If the chairman would only stand by them in-
Parliament, in the way he had promised, he could assure
him they would stand by him, and by that means give an
opportunity to their descendants of exclaiming that
Westminster-bridge occupied the same site it had stood
upon for centuries. Mr. Wilkinson concluded by
moving the following resolution:—" That the report of
the Select Committee appointed by the House of Com-
mons to consider the subject, contains the most ample
and satisfactory reasons why the present site of West-
minster-bridge should be preserved, and no additional
bridge erected at Charing Cross, and that an inspection
of the Map of London demonstrates to conviction, that
no poi, ion of the river presents a point of crossing more
adapted to the general convenience of the public in con
nexton with existing bridges than the present site of
Westminster-bridge."
Mr. WILTSHIRE seconded the resolution. While he
admitted that the present bridge ought to come down, he
thought it would be most unjust to alter the site, as
thereby the whole of the traffic would be diverted from
its present current to Charing. cross.—(Hear, hear.)
He thought that the inhabitants of that side of the water
had strong cause to go to Parliament and oppose the
proposed measure for the erection of a new bridge to
Charing-cross.
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution to the meeting,
and declared it to be carried unanimously.
Mr. CHRISTIE moved the next resolution—" That
a committee be appointed to carry out the foregoing
resolutions, and that petitions to the Houses of Parliament
he prepared under their direction, and that the commit-
tee be authorised to take all necessary means for oppo-
sing the proposed Bill in Committee, as well as petition-
ing each House, and that subscriptions lists be immedi-
ately opened to defray the necessary expenses." He
called upon the inhabitants to exert every nerve, and
I, ave no endeavour unemployed to prevent the measure
passing, for they might depend upon it if they did not,
they would find on some fine morning Westminster-
bridge had disappeared and not a wreck of it was left
behind.—(Laughter.)
Mr. WOOHALL seconded the resolution, which
The CHAIRMAN declared to be carried unanimously.
The committee having been appointed,—
Mr. WILKINSON proposed a vote of thanks to their
worthy chairman. Having to fight a difficult battle,
he could assure them he did not wish a better leader.
The motion baying been carried unanimously,
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks. The present meet-
ing and its results were of no ordinary kind ; they were
of the deepest importance to the neighbourhood in which
they then were. He hoped, therefore, that they would
rally round the committee, and enable them to fight
their battle ably in the House of Commons.—(Cheers.)
He
latewas Sirhap Matthewhavepyto vv
the son
w
n of an
tohledm. friend of
such
of
shish,
the
materials, and a good cause, they were sure to succeed,
and he could assure them that upon any occasion when
the committee required his services, he should be happy
to afford them.—(Hear.) In parting, he would only
say, that if they continued to display the energy they
had shown that night, they would be sure to succeed.
The meeting then broke up.

OPENING OF THE LANCASTER
AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.
We mentioned in our last that a part of the directors
of this line had proceeded on Friday morning on a trial
trip from Carlisle to Lancaster. The directors were
John Dixon, EFq., and G. H. Head, Esq., who were
joined at Penrith by E. W. Hanel, Esq., chairman of
the directors, H. Howard, Esq., of Grcystoke Castle.
and Lieut.-Colonel Much an. 'I hey were accompanied
by T. C. Heysham, Esq., P. Dixon, Esq., Mr. Steel, of
the Carlisle Journal, Mr. Lamer, resident engi eer,
Mr. Collister, resident engineer of the Caledonian Rail-
way, Mr. Mould, Mr. Hemberow, Mr. Green, and two
or three other gentlemen connected with the works.
The train consisted of the engine, tender, and three car-
riages. It proceeded at a rate of upwards of thirty
miles an hour, and would have reached Penrith (18
miles) in about 35 minutes. but for a slight accident
when about two miles from that place. By some unfor-
tunate blunder the person appointed to attend to the
se itches, bad neglected his duty—the points were in
the wrong did et:don, and the engine and tender were
thrown off the rails. The train was at the time pro-
ceeding
at so slow a pace, that the shock caused by
being brought to a sudden stand still was scarcely felt
by the passengers. It caused a delay, however, of up-
wards of an hour, when the train again proceeded on
its way—reaching Lancaster (70 miles) in about three
hours of actual travelling,—the directors baying stopped
at several places to inspect the works.
At Lancaster a board meeting was held—the directors
resident in Liverpool, and Messrs. Locke and Errington,
the engineers, being present, and various arrangements
were made for the public opening of the line, should
Captain Coddington, the Government inspector, give the
requisite certificate. In the evening, the directors, en-
giueers, and friends dined together at the King's Arms
Inn, and next morning were joined at breakfast by Capt.
Coddington, who had just arrived from London.
A little atter eight o'clock, they started with a train of
four carriages on the return to Carlisle. The day was
( xcesxively cold, with rain, sleet, snow, and frost
by turns. At times, the rails presented the . appear-
ance of long lines of ice, and were extremely
slippery. The difficulty on such a day was the
ascent of the great incline on Shap Fells—one of
the severest gradients on any railway in England,
and the whole party watched this with no little interest;
and it must have been highly satisfactory to both en-
gineers and directors when Captain Coddington, who
stood upon the engine and timed its progress, announced
that the ascent had been made, notwithstanding the
unfavourable state of the rails, at the rate of twenty
miles an hour—although the engine was an old one and
not of the most powerful class.
All the heavy works—the bridges, viaducts, cuttings,
and embankments—were minutely inspected by Captain
Coddington, who expressed himself, at the end of the
journey, as highly pleased with the whole of the works—
declaring that the public might travel upon the line
with the most perfect safety; and immediately after-
wards gave the directors a certificate to that effect.
We may mention here, that the line is double through-
out, with the exception of about two miles, near Low •
ther. Ills portion will be made double in a month or
less. The line is remarkably easy nearly throughout—
the exception being a short distance where it has been
recently ballasted; and it passes through a country
which can scarcely be surpassed for picturesque beauty
and wildness of scenery.
It was our intention to have given a full description of
the line in this day's journal; but as the public opening
is definitely fixed for Tuesday next, we think it better
to defer our account until next week, when we can em-
body it with the proceedings of that day. It is our in-
tention to illustrate the account by various engravings,
which will give our readers a faint notion at least of the
various objects of interest which the line presents.
As few events have ever occurred more interesting to
Carlisle and the county at large, than the opening out
of this most important railway, we trust the day will be
keptasa general holiday—to mark the importance
which is attached to it. A correspondent suggests
hope to see it followed up.
rectors' dinner.
that a publicu,i.stnt
hrbiwaTalaigtlln;pl
ashouldplace
of be given
L a
Lancaster
thes ter occasion.train _....
w h e The
hael l
gements of
ttihmeedwayill
neldtAssembly-rooin to remain
gladly allow the splendid
i\vfifd,t,erteai
thisngi
believe ss api iugrotporodes
Mr. Mould
Cnameef
after
f,
oe
eurael and
bidiewowcuoe,su)
datards ofas the line, it will not probably
are
b e
given these —t 0 a
inspect train
will start from Lancaster for Carlisle, at eleven o'clock
before three in the afternoon. At twelve
Carlisle for Penrith,
The arrao
where it will remain (probaoly about an hour) until the
will start from
proceed together to Carlisle.
will
directors will give a spl-ndid dinner to a large party of
theirarrivallo'clockeat reach
hh various
hersrr alaost
invited guests at the Athenaeum ; and on Wednesday
there will be return trains for the guests from Kendal,
Lancaster,
&c. On Thursday the line will be opened
a-day
'
for traffic—two trains
-running each way.
On Wednesday Messrs. John Stephenson and Co., the
spirited contractors, who . have so ably executed the
work, give a dinner to a large party of friends at the
Coffee House. for which the most l
extensive preparations
are being made Journa—
Carlisle •

Mr. Hudson, it is said, has given orders for all the
persons engaged on the Eastern Counties to be regaled
with a good dinner, and to receive es., during the
Christmas holidays.--iceds Merow,y.

IRISH RAILROADS.
THE WATERFORD, WEXFORD, WICIMOVir,
AND DUBLIN COMPANY.
(From the Atlas.)
The importance of railways to Ireland is obvious. To
a country possessing almost every element of national
prosperity except capital, they present the most direct
means of ultimately supplying that great want. In the
present circumstances of Ireland they are peculiarly
valuable as a source of imm, diate employment, and as a
vital agent for vivifying existing forms of industry and
creating new ones. But railroad enterprise, to be of
practical utility to Ireland, must be conducted with the
utmost caution. The danger is as imminent as the utility.
Ireland is not in a condition for experiments. She
cannot afford failures. The only railroads that can, in
the existing state of things, be of any use to Ireland,
or that ought to be sanctioned in that country, are
railroads that present a reasonable chance of success.
Projects that are likely to expire amongst the gam-
blers in the share market—or upon which the calls are
never likely to be paid up—or that cannot yield
remunerating returns, even if established—ought to be
abandoned. The great money pow er of England enables
her to play with risks which would be destruction to
Ireland. In England it is all very will to say that
wherever there is a turnpike road there must be a rail-
way ; and no doubt, in the end, the exulting prophecy
will come to pass, because we have plenty of money to
carry us over the unprofitable interval which must elapse
before it can be realised. But in that interval the bulk
of the subscribers to an Irish railroad would perish.
These sounding generalities, which represent the omni-
potence of capital rather than the inevitable operations of
necessity, are wholly inapplicable to Ireland. There is
no money power in Ireland ; not a superfluous shilling
to expend upon theoretical schemes ; hardly enough,
indeed, to supply the exigencies of the hour. In Ireland,
therefore, every advance made in this direction must be
made with a forewarning of the gravest responsibility.
There must be no squandering ; no wild speculation ;
or, instead of conferring benefits upon the country, the
extension of railways will only increase her embarrass-
ments, and place her still farther beyond the reach of
ordinary social remedies.
The company whose title we have cited above affords
a very co.nplete illustration of the practical evils we ap-
prehend from rash and ill-advised railroad speculations
in Ireland. The objections to this line are so strong,
and lie so conspicuously on the surface, that, had there
not been a special inducement, to which we will come
presently, it would be surprising how a sufficient num-
ber of subscribers could have been drawn together in
the first instance, or why, having had ample time to con-
sider their situation, they do not now dissolve. The
failure of such a line, with a nominal capital of a mil-
lion sterling, would entail incalculable calamities upon
the country. She could not endure the consequences of
so fatal an error. She lacks the elastic spring by which
wealthier communities recover themselves from a false
step.
The objections to this line are twofold. First, it can-
not pay—an objection large enough in itself to include
all others. Second, it is impossible to raise the requi-
site capital. Undoubtedly these are peculiar features in
a railway which has already procured its Act of Parlia-
ment. But it must be remembered that the scene of
these eccentric ,operations is Ireland, and that the sub-
scription to the deeds was obtained at a time when na-
tional credulity was agape for every project, however
absurd, and when it was believed that there was a sor-
cery in prospectuses to conjure traffic out of a desert.
The line proposes to run from Dublin, through Wick-
low and Wexford, to Waterford. Any person ac-
quainted with the country must know that there is no
business intercourse of any kind along this road. The
only portion of it traversed by a travelling population is
that which is embraced in the first fifteen or twenty
miles into Wicklow whose beauties, surrounded by a
cestus of romantic hills, never fail to attract the wander-
ing eyes of visitors, and the pic-nics of the slumberous
metropolis. Through the summer, possibly, a few
pleasure-trains might yield a remunerating return. The
value of property, too, in the immediate neighbourhood,
might be improved. But all this would be only fair
weather prosperity. The moment winter sets in, the oc-
cupation of the green vallies and mazy woods is over ;
and the business of a Wicklow railroad would virtually
cease. People are not fond of making gay excursions in
dreary December, or eating cold dinners on the saturated
grass, under a forest of umbrellas.
The rest of the line passes for the most part through
a country dismally relieved here and there by stretches
of sand, barren heaths, and long undulating hills. The
population is wretched, and, in some places, plunged
into the lowest depths of misery. A few farms are
scattered at distant intervals, but none of them rich or
large ; gentlemen's seats are still more rare ; and there
are no evidences anywhere of the material progress
which either requires a railroad, or which is likely at
present to be benefited by one. The whole intercourse
along the line is now carried on by two coaches—a morn-
ing coach and a night mail; and so languid is the traffic,
that the post-office finds it necessary to allow a much
higher rate of mileage here than in other places, to ena-
ble the contractors to make up for the deficiency of
passengers. Yet an Act of Parliament has been ob-
tained tor constructing a railway through these unpro-
fitable districts, over which a miracle must be worked
before any prospect of a return can ever be looked for.
The history of the company is instructive. It started 1
under the auspices of the Board of the Great Western of
England, who contemplated a chain of communication
through the South line across to Wexford, and thence
by this new line to Dublin, forming, upon the whole, a
more accessible route between London and Dublin, than
any now in existence. The name of the Great NV(-stern
was a tower of strength. The Irish constituency be-
lieved that they were safe under the shelter of that vast
monopoly; and in the confident expectation that the lire
would be either leased or purchased by the Great
Western, the shares were rapidly subscribed. As the
time, however, approached for closing the Parliamentary
contract, it seems that there was not a sufficient amount
subscribed to enable the directors to go before Parlia •
went, and during the last three days a number of in-
fluential gentlemen put their names to the contract for
various sums from 10,0001. to 300,0001. each. They
were just in time to save the Bill, and the Bill was saved
accordingly.
But it is now discovered that the Great Western has
no intention whatever of either leasing or purchasing
the line. The Great Western intends to wait very,
wisely till the line is formed; and then it is not im -
probable the Great Western may treat with the ruined
directory. In the meanwhile, what course is the direc-
tory adopting? The English reader will infer at once
that they have determined to wind up and dissolve, since
the temptation which called them into existence is with-
drawn. No:—he will never guess that, in the face of
difficulties which may be described as being absolutely
insurmountable, they have announced their intention of
prosecuting their scheme! Now, this is precisely one of
the projects which, if persisted in, must inflict irreparable
mischief upon Ireland.
The mass of the allottees are Irish; they are persons of
small, or of no capital; they subscribed on the faith of
the Great Western; and now, finding that there is no
expectation of assistance from that quarter, they would
gladly retire from the speculation. But how is this to
be done? The majority of them have parted with their
scrip, although it seems not with their responsibility.
The directors have announced their determination to re-
gister the original allottees,'and thus [fix them for the
calls. Let us see the effect of this proceeding.
By holding the allottees to their responsibility, the
directors deprive themselves of the means (if means can
ever be obtained) of carrying out the line. The bulk of
the allottees cannot pay their calls ; they could as easily
pay the national debt. Any attempt to enforce payment
will only aggravate the general difficulty. On the other
hand, the act of shutting out from registration the pur-
chasers of scrip, who may be presumed to be upon the
whole a more solvent class than allottees who subscribe
and sell, is an act of gross injustice, which literally
amounts to a forfeiture of property. This movement,
then, of the directors affects two very large constituen-
cies—the allottees who are still chained to their respon-
sibility, and the holders of scrip who are threatened with
confiscation. It has seldom happened that such a com-
plicated power of doing mischief has been roncentrated
in the action of a Railway Committee.
But what is to become of the great supporters of the
line who subscribed 20,0001. and 30,0001. each ? Are
they to be held responsible with the rest of the allottees?
Everybody knows that subscriptions of this extravagant
kind are merely intended as a sort of nominal guarantee
to answer the immediate purpose of securing the Act,
and never intended to be exacted. The greater part of
the shares of these gentlemen are, doubtless, distributed
over a wide expanse in the hands of the men of straw.
But the question still remains, what is to be done with
them ? If the directors mean to deal out impartial jus-
tice (or impartial injustice) alike to all, the question an-
swers itself, and these gentlemen must pay for their pa-
triotism. But, as the directors have a right to reject
whom they please, there is an escape for patriots which
will readily suggest itself to the board. We presume
that none of these large subscribers will be impounded
for their subscriptions. But they grievously deceive
themselves if they imagine that they will get loose from
their responsibility in that way. They are in the per-
plexity of a man who. trying to escape from a fire,
rushes into a pond. The choice is between burning and
drowning.
The dilemma is this. They are either liable, or not
liable. If liable, they have incurred a responsibility
which few of them, we suspect, will be very willing to
discharge ; and if not liable, they. have incurred a
greater responsibility from the inevitable failure of the
means to carry on the line, through the pauperism of
the parties to whom their shares have been transferred.
In either case, the weight will finally descend upon
them, either from their own direct responsibility, or
from the extinction of all other sources of capital. It is
clearly their own interest, therefore, as well as their duty
to the country, to bring the affairs of this company to
an immediate solution.
We cannot conceive a single argument in defiance of
such a proj- ct at such a time. If there was the slightest
prospect of eventual success ; if there was the slightest
hope of being able to raise the requisite capital—the
perseverance of the directors would command, as it
would deserve our warmest applause. But there is no
such prospect—no such hope. To persist in such a de-
sign at a juncture like this is to draw down wilfully fresh
disasteres—to brave the evil genius of the country, in the
midst of misfortunes that already overwhelm the energies
of the people. The true policy—the honest and upright
course—is to dissolve this hopeless company. and to re-
turn back to the scripholders all the money that can now
be snatched from a career of aimless expenditure.
Delay will only absorb more of the deposit, and leave a
scantier residue to be distributed. It is possible the di-
rectors might open negotiations to lease or sell their
rights. Every effort of this kind should be tried before
the interests of the constituency shall have been finally
sacrificed. Such arrangements have been fialuently
carried out with excellent results in England, and
might be attended with still happier effects in Ireland.
But whatever course the directors may take, the al-
Mtfeos and scripholders hale but one interest in comuum,

They constitute,-in fact, the basis upon which the line
rests. It is for them to decide whether they are pre-
pared to go ,forward with the scheme, or whether it
ought to be abandoned. If they do not co operate and
exercise the powers conrerred upon them by the Com-
panies' Clauses Consolidation Act, which enables them
to demand and carry a dissolution of the company, they
can have nobody to bleu e but themselv,s for any con-
sequence that may flow from their supineness.
Since the above was in type, we find that the allottees
and scripholders of this railway have in a great measure
anticipated our advice. A meeting has been held in
Dublin, for the purpose of devising some means to
rescue all parties from the perilous position in which
they are placed. We refer to the report of this meet-
ing for particulars, and trust that the committee ap-
pointed to watch over the intereAs of the shareholders
will see the necessity .of being prompt, as well as ener-
getic, in their movements.

CENTRAL OF SPAIN RAILWAY.

A special general meeting of the shareholders in the
ab,five undertaking was held yesterday afternoon, at the
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of
receiving a report upon the present position of the
company, and taking into considerati It the resignation
of, the Spanish direction. The Hun. Mr. P. IL Butler,
M.P., in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN said, perhaps the best course he could
pursue would be to read the letter of resignation, re-
ceived from the Spanish direction at Madrid. The letter
assigned three reasons for the resignation ; lint, the
want of confidence between the board at Madrid, and
the English direction ; secondly, the want of confit;enc..
of the Spaniards in the result of the undertaking ;
and, thirdly, the abandonment of the branch to Lisbon,
through the disturbed political state of Portugal.
The Chairman, after reading the letter, went on to say,
that at an interview he had with the Spanish din c-
tion, some few months ago, certain treaties and
concessions were made, but subsequently the Spaniards
repudiated the agreement, and proposed more stringent
conditions, which he declined to agree to, pointing out to
the direction that they hail failed to subscribe a single
ducat towards the undertaking, while they had delayed
the issuing of the shares fur speculative services. He
then returned to England, and a third party was
sent out to negotiate a peace. That peace was effected,
but the Spaniards again violated their agreement, and
followed it up by sending in their resignation. It was,
perhaps, ungracious in him to give such advice, after the
reception he had met with in Spain, but he felt it to be
his duty to advise English capitalists not to speculate in
Spanish undertakings, managed by Spanish boards of
direction. There was no- faith to be placed in these bodies,
because they were generally under the thumb of
large Spanish speculators, and the issuing of the shares
and collecting of money was made subservient to their
movements on the Bourse of Madrid. It was true their
engineer's plans were rejected by the Spanish authorities,
but really they were rejected because the capitalists he
bad alluded to had desired it. Now, the question for
them to consider was, how far it was desirable for them
to proceed with the undertaking. He had no doubt the line
from Madrid to Badajoz would never pay, but a line from
%Nem to Lisbon and from Badajoz to Madrid would
pay, but then it must be carried out by an English, and
not a Spanish executive, and he would recommend them
to carry out that line if they could get ample guarantees
and securities from the Spanish Government.

The report stated that the line was conceded in
1845, and 40,0001. were subsequently deposited
with the Spanish Government as a guarantee for
the due carrying out of the line, and after giving
in detail the statement just made by the chairman, pro-
ceeded to add that the reason the plans were registered
was because the Spanish executive of the company had
gone so far as to make a report against the plans of
their own engineer. An embargo had been placed upon
the deposits of the concessionaires, and if the share-
holders determined to break up the company, the Spa-
nish executive, in accordance with statutes granted to
the company, would be compelled to defray their share
of the expense which had been incurred.
In answer to questions,
The CHAIRMAN said, any shareholder might have dis-
closed to him the details of the various negotiations if
he would call at the office of the company, but it was
not prudent to make them public. The basis and terms
of the agreements which the Spanish executive had
agreed to and violated, would be printed and forwarded
to each shareholder.

The report was then put from the chair and unani-
mously adopted.
Captain WILKINSON said he wished to explain how it
was that his plans were rejected.
A SHAREHOLDER (a Spaniard) said be was convinced
the shareholders threw no imputation upon Captain
Wilkinson.—(No, no.) They had evidently got rid of a
set of sharpers and tricksters, and there was no us,
paying any attention to their imputations.
Captain Wnamson said his plans were rejected
simply because he would not connive at the trucklin
and dishonesty of the Spanish directors. On one occa-
sion the directors wanted him to wink at their exchang-
ing the shares of the company for property of no value
whatever ; in fact, they wanted to give 35,0001. worth
of shares for property scarcely worth 15,0001.
Mr. Smrrn complained that no statement of the ac-
counts had been made, and charged the directors with
having put forward an advertisement unfounded iu
truth. The first prospectus stated that all the deposits
would be returned if no concession were obtained.
Only a promise of a concession had as yet been made
and therefore the deposits ought to be returned. Fitty
thousand shares were to be allotted in this country, but
only 28,000 were allotted, and of that number not more
than 10,000 were paid upon. He contended, too, that
the engineer had been overpaid, and protested that tin
directors had been guilty of a dereliction of duty in not
having rendered the dirt ctors in Spain mote liable that
they were at present.
The Cieszustax admitted that some of the abuses ha(
occurred, but it was before he became connected with
the company. Upon a future day all these wasters of
account would be fully explained.
The SECRETARY said that it was true that 50,000
shares were reserved for distribution in England, but
only 28,000 were allotted ; and of that number about
10,000 were paid upon. There was no doubt that the
concession had been made, and that the Spanish direc
Lion were certainly liable for their proportion of the ex-
penses. The money remaining in hand amounted to
about 1,5001. Some of the servants and the engineer
bad been part paid for their claims in shares.
Eventually a committee of inquiry was appointed ;
and a vote of thanks having been passed to the chair-
man, the meeting broke up.

The goods carried between London, Birmingham,
and Rugby, amount to about 2,000 tons per day.
Why were there no postage labels in Henry the
Eighth's time ?—Because a Queen's bead wasn't worth
a penny during his reign.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FRENCH THEATRES FOR
THE RELIEF OF THE POOR.—The theatres, balls, con-

certs, exhibitions, and other places of public entertain-
ment in Paris, are made to contribute a certain propor-
tionlof their receipts towards the relief of the poor of the

city: The amount of the fund Otained from this source,
in 1845, was 1,046,526 fr., viz.:—Opera (including
23,335 fr. for the balls), 115,417 fr.; Oliva Comique.
71,626 fr.; Franlais, 48,936 fr.; Italian, 90,538 fr.; Odeon,

9,727 fr. ; Gymnase, 54,049 fr. ; Vaudeville. 50,808 fr.;
Varieths, 65,208 fr.; Palais Royal, 43,437 fr.; Porte Saint
Martin, 76,650 fr. •P Ambigu, 49,634 fr.; Gaits, 46,188 fr.;
Circus, 88,178fr.;FoliesDramatiques,29,895fr.; Delasse.
wens, 15,433 fr.; Beaumarchais, 10,440 fr.; ranch 4on,