The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-17 00:00:00

sprung from the emancipation of the human mind ; I
but if I were to speak of such men as Martin
Luther and John Knox, and look to what is recorded of
them, or the words they sometimes used, I will not find
their expressions of that soothing kind, and of that mel-
lifluous sound many fastidious persons would like. lam
not astonished, therefore, when everything is cotaidered
—when I think on the time and energy which many
spend in the promotion of this cause, and of the frailty
with which everything human must be conducted—when
I hear harsh language, and ev n some misconstruction of
the motives of the men who oppose them. You will for-
give me for making these observations- Al ter all that
has passed to•day—after the honours conferred upon me
—and after the speeches we have heard, I thought it
would be something like a wilful blindness, something
like a pettiness on my part, were I not to acknowledge
the great services which such men as Mr. Villiers and
Mr. Cobden have rendered in forwarding the important
question of commercial freedom.—(Great applause.)
The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
•
SHREWSBURY AND BIRMINGHAM.
MANCHESTER, THIIRSDAY.—To-day, at noon, a meeting, of
the Scripholders in this Company was held at the Star Hotel,
Deansgate, in this town, to consider the announ,ement
lately made, of an amalgamation with the Dudley, Madeley,
and Broseley.
At the time appointed, about thirty-five Shareholders and
solicitors, representing shares to a very large amount, were
present.
Mr. HARRISON BLAIR moved that Mr. Todd take the chair.
Mr. BLAIR moved that the "proposed amalgamation
between the Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and the Dudley,
Madeley, and Broseley line is highly injurious to the interests
of the -Shareholders of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham
Company, and that the following gentlemen be appointed a
Committee, to protect the general interests of the Share-
holders." He would not propose that resolution, but he
would propose the appointment of a deputation, and he would
suggest that they be specially instructed to ascertain whether
the Dudley and Madeley plans had been eompleted and de-
posited according to law, without which they would not be
in a position to go to Parliament.
Mr. SAVERY said that the effect of the proposed amal-
gamation would be to reduce the value of their property by
one-third, giving the defunct company three shares for two.
Me, Aussworcru, of Bolton, and others, thought that a
deputation should go up to London or Birmingham, as the
case might be.
Mr. JAMES WOOLLEY, druggist, proposed as an amendment,
that Mr. Blair should write to the secretary for official in
formation on the subject.
The amendment having been seconded, was put and lost
by a large majority, and Messrs. Mawdesley, Davies, and
Blair were appointed a deputation for,the purpose before re-
ferred to, and they were directed to report to a meeting of
shareholders to be held at a future day.
LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.
A numerous meeting of the rate-payers of the parish of
Christ Church, Surrey, was held at the vestry-room, yester-
day, for the purpose of receiving a communication from the
board of highways with reference to the railway proposed to
be carried through the Blackfriars .road by the London and
South-Western Railway Company.
Mr. Pegg, churchwarden, was called to the chair.
Mr. HOBSON said they were no doubt aware that it was
proposed to construct a railway through their parish, and
that it was intended to pull down some of their houses. There
were two companies who had this in contemplation : one of
these, the London and South-Western, had served them with
a notice; the other, the North Kent, had not. The Board of
Surveyors on last Friday, held a meeting, and resolved, that
as the meeting of the parishioners, which was fixed for last
Thursday to consider this subject, had not taken place, to
dissent from the proposed railway, from a conviction that it
would be injurious to the interests of the parishioners.
The VESTRY CLERK then read the notice, which stated
that the Company intended applying to Parliament next
session for leave to amend the Bill they had obtained for.a
line to Waterloo-bridge, and that they intended to substitute
one which would pass through William-street, York-street,
Gravel-lane, and Jane-street. He also read the resolution re-
ferred to by Mr. Hobson,
The CHAIRMAN said, the line proposed by the London
and South-Western would affect very seriously their in-
terests, and would reduce the property in the parish about
5i per cent., by the pulling down of 163 houses assessed at
2,6481. It was now time for them to see what steps they
should adopt to prevent that; or should they succeed in
getting that railway, to attend to the interests of the
parishioners. The South-Western proposed an embank-
ment, and the North Kent a viaduct, to be carried across
the road.

Mr. BOWDITCH said that they were met to consider what
would b 3 advantageous to the collective interests of the
country, as well as what affected the parish. It was certain
that one-eighteenth portion of the house property in
the parish would be destroyed, and that, consequently,
fifteenpence in the pound would be added to their
rates, or the difference between 850/. and 9001. The
effect would be, that all the property in the parish,would
suffer materially, and he would propose a resolution to
that effect. But it was not confined to the parish to
be opposed to this railway; the public feeling was in
general against it, for it would destroy the beauty of the road
without effecting any adequate benefit in the transit of
goods, which would have been effected much better by the
line before proposed. That line would have been carried,
but that the Company could not agree with Mr. Alderman
Humphery as to the compensation to be given him if
they were to go to London-bridge.. By the Bill that was
obtained last year they proposed to make Waterloo-bridge
the terminus, and that place had the approbation of Mr.
Hawes.
Mr. WEBB concurred in the opinion of the last speaker, for
he was satisfied that wherever viaducts were erected the
neighbourhood was invariably injured. He was also of opi-
nion that the line from Kennington would be more desirable,
for the traffic came chiefly by that way to the west-end of
the metropolis. He, therefore, believed that it would be
more consistent with the interest of the public were that line
adhered to.
Mr. Wit sox said that the householders in the neighbour-
hood of Waterloo-bridge.had suffered the Bill to pass from a
conviction that the district would be materially benefited by
the railway to that bridge, and that the rental would be con-
siderably increased. And the Corporation of London had
permitted the Blackwall Railway to come to Fenchurch-street
from a similar conviction. They had even proposed that two
of the largest railways should come through Farringdon-
street. It would be a perfectly futile attempt for any Com-
mittee they might appoint, to seek to prevent the passing of
the Bill for the proposed railway. It would be more ad-
visable for them to work with the South-Western Company,
and Government would take care that the interests of the
parish were not sacrificed pending the time of their treating
with that Company. They would also derive great benefit
during the construction of the railway by the employment of
labourers, and it was unwise for them, a small, metropolitan
parish, to offer opposition to an important and useful under-
taking.
Mr. Ho ssos conceived that, on public grounds, it would
be better if they paid it out of their own pockets. The houses
that would be pulled down were not old, but most of them
new, and all of which paid rates. The rental with these
houses was 3,3271., which would be reduced to 2,648/. And
again, the viaduct that was proposed to be erected would be
but 90 feet in width, while the road was 80 feet broad, and
the footpath 40 feet.
After some further discussion, it 'was agreed that a corn.
mittee of sixteen persons, consisting of the overseers, church.
wardens, and other parishioners, should be appointed to watch
the progress of any railway Bill affecting the interests of the
parish, and to report the same to the parishioners, who would
take the necessary steps to oppose it effectually.