The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1841.

cow. Hence the hatred with which opposition
to the Corn laws has been received by the ex-
pectants.

- For this plan, comparable'to nothing but one
for taking the public money tl buy the rotten
herrings which the present fishermen can make
no use of, commercial and manufacturing industry
is to be stopped by law, and a Chartist-made
famine inflicted upon all except those who
are living on the strength of their hundred
pounds. For this the labourers were -taken
under the musquets of the soldiers at-Newport
and left there, and the good sense of the work-
ing classes diverted from the finest opportunity
ever presented them of raising themselves in
political importance. The hand of the land-
owners is visible in the whole-. The plan
is not for advancing the Charter, but for making
any advance towards the Charter impossible ;
you may tell it to the marines, but the
sailors will never believe. you. Not that the
landowners absolutely calculated on setting up
their new allies in power, though at the
worst, twenty millions for their unsaleable
lands was not so bad. But portions of the
working men were to be encouraged to play
"lower orders" for the aristocracy's benefit, and,
like the negro of the American stage, dis-
play the character in every light which
could be opposed to the emancipation
of their class. They were to make everybody
their enemies, and themselves ridiculous in the
doing. They were to exhibit the grotesque spec-
tacle of men exclaiming against " class-legisla-
tion," and proceeding to demand one of their
own, the first step of which was to be to
take a hundred and twenty millions from
a struggling public, by a bolder sweep than
has ever been attempted by any class but
one. They:were set upon working over again all
the exploded fallacies of the landowners, and
adding new ones of their own, discreditable equally
to the intellect and to the virtue of the working
classes whose name they were to take. But
while they were thus driven against the stone
wall of every man's enmity and every man's
interests, they were to perform the service to
their lords and masters, of staving off the de-
molition of the system of monopolies by Which
the oppressive aristocracy support themselves
upon the public. They might have gone
on longer if they would have let other
people alone; but when they apply foul
terms to men for daring to preach anything but
this which they never have consented to nor un-
derstood, they force inquiry into the basis of
their Rotten Herring Company. The Charter
for ever; but down with the scheme for sack-
ing a hundred and twenty millions of the public
money to begin with.
For this advance, the Giver be praised. It is
another step towards the movement sensible
men contemplate.—Yours very sincerely,
T. PERRONET THOMPSON.
Blackheath, Dec. 25, 1841.

MANCHESTER AND LEEDS RAIL-
WAY.
(From the Manchester Courier of Friday.)
Yesterday a special meeting of the Shareholders in
this railway was held at the Company's offices, Hunt's
Bank, for the purpose of taking into consideration a
proposal that the said Company shall unite with several
other Railway Companies, for the purpose of promot-
ing the formation of a line from Darlington to New-
castle; which line, when formed, will complete the
railway communication between London and Newcastle,
and also between Manchester and Newcastle ; also to
consider the propriety of proceeding with the extension
of the Manchester and Leeds line to Hunt's Bank."
There was rather a numerous attendance, about 50 or
60 Shareholders being present. Amongst them we
observed the Hon. Captain Best, R.N., Thomas
Houldsworth, E.q., M.P., John Feilden, Esq., M.P.,
William Marshall, Esq., of Preston, James Heald,
Esq., of Parawood, Joseph Pease, Esq., of Darlington,
James Wood, Esq., William Entwisle, Esq., and
nearly all the large• Shareholders, representing about
seven-eighths of the entire stock of the Company. The
chair was filled by Henry Houldsworth, Esq , the
Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Mr. JELLICONE, the Secretary, having read the ad-
vertisement,

The CHAIRMAN said, of the two questions they bad
to consider, that of the Hunt's Bank extension was so
much the most important, that it would be better to
discuss it first, The Directors regretted that, since the
last meeting of the Proprietors of that Company, there
had not appeared to be any change in the feelings of
the Liverpool and Manchester Company, with regard
to proceeding with their part of this project; and it
could not be denied, from the short time which had now
to elapse before the power of purchasing land ex-
pired,
that they had every reason to conclude that the
Liverpool and Manchester Company had determined
not to proceed with the junction. Hence, this Com-
pany were placed in a situation of great difficulty ; the
whole question had been forced on the consideration
of the Board, and must now be submitted to the Pro-
prietors, assthe time allowed them for the purchase of
land expired in July next. The views of the Board
were unchanged with regard to the advantage of
forming the junction, and all the exe rience they had
gained by the working of the line, only tended to con-
firm their opinion of the great advantage that would
result therefrom. This project originated in the year
1838 ; in July of that year, the first conference between
the Liverpool Board and this Company took place.
On the 23d of that month a letter was received from
the Secretary of that Company, stating that the Di-
rectors were confirmed in their first impression of form-
ing the junction, and were ready to enter into the neces-
sary preliminary arrangements. Oa the 31st of the
same month they reported to their Proprietors that a
proposition had been made for a junction, and that it
would receive their best attention. In September they.
entered into negotiations with the Bolton Railway
Company, over a part of whose line the junction line
was to pass. On the 22d October, the Secretary '
of 'the Manchester and Leeds Company sent them
plans of the junction, stud an estimate of the traffic,
accompanied, however, with a request that they
would consider the traffic estimate as the best opi-
nion that could be offered at that particular time.
In November, it was necessary to give notice of
an application to Parliament, which the Liverpool
Company did ; the negotiation with the Bolton Com-
pany was going on in the meantime, and there appeared
to have been considerable difficulty in coming to an ar-
rangement. The first proposition was, that the junction
should be made by the three Companies : by the Leeds
Company from their present station to Hunt's Bank ;
the Bolton Company should continue the line over the
titer to their station) and thet the LiVerpool Company
should do the remainder. This was objected to, and
the negotiation was carried on the principle of the Li-
verpool Company making the whole of the junction line
Roth Hunt's Bank, and paying a toll to the Bolton
Company; and the negociation with the Bolton Com.
liabY was not settled when the parties went to Par-
ament. Both the Liverpool And Leeds Companies
applied about the same time for Parliamentary powers.
Mr. Gill, then the representative of the Leeds Com-
pany in London, *a§ afikiutis that the Coq:taffies should
enter into an engagement to complete the junction in
two years but the Liverpool Company declined to
enter into such arrangement, This was the first inti-
mation they gave of anything !Ike indecision on the
subject of the junction) it was in March, iffag, About
that time a request *as sent to the Leeds Company for
their estimates of the traffic. Mr. Atanway had been em-
ployed several months in making them out ; but they !fete
sent to the Liverpool Company on the 28d March. Oct
the nth the Sectetart df that Company addressed a
letter to Mr. Gill; asking for explanations of Certain
items; and the same letter stated that title or two largely
interested )Propti►tnr3 Iti the Litiefpbel Oottitiall bad
had a conference with the Directors, and had intirnetti
their desire to h.eve mote definite and conclusive informa-
ibti . E 9 Elie reit tifiefatlafi likely Id be derived
irom the junction, and had stated that they would not
oppose the Directors in bringing a proposition before the
Proprietors if they would agues to Saliba the whole
question to them again at a future day. On the gth
April, this Company received a letter from Mr. Loch,
the representative of the Bridgewater interest in the
Liverpool and Manchester Company, containing a
copy of a letter he had addressed to the Chairman of
that Company, calling attention tog Junction of rail-
ways round the southern part of this town, end re-
presenting that he believed such connection could be
made at a less cost, and would be more beneficial to
the public. That communication came a very few
days after the communication of Mr. Boothby *herein
lie said that twthpr three largely interested Proprietors
were not convinced of the benefit of the conneations,
The letter was remitted to Mr. Gill in London ; but
the Liverpool Company proceeded in obtaining their Act
for the Northern Junction, which they obtained in June
of that year, In the meantime; no more Was heafd of
the &Where Junction; and they eery naturally centluded
that it had died a natural
Ideathi as it appeared to persons
"400e3ieil quite dill ot the
question tact such a line would ever no main, a 3 tyitdi=
ever benefits it minbt nossess for other Companies, it was
certainly not calculated to promote the interest of tun
Liverpool Company. In June, 1839, the half-yearly
meeting of the Liverpool Company was held, when the
Directors pledged themselvesto bring the matter before
the Shareholders at a future period, before proceeding
with the junction. No more was done till October,
when the Liverpool Company pointed out some discre-
pancies in the traffic estimates, stating that they had
derived information from other sources which showed
that the amount of traffic was immeasurably less than
was contained in the estimate of the Leeds Company.
They could only refer to the prineiples, which were the
same as bad guided Mr. Stantyay in making the esti-
mate for this line and others. His estimate of the
traffic passing along the Leede and Liverpool canal was
89,000 tons per annum ; and that 210,000 tons 'per
annum passed thrork; llanchester on the Rochdale
canal. The mode its' obtained these facts .was.