The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-21 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE

IMPORTANT RAILWAY ARRANGEMENT.
LivnarooL, OCT. 18.—The announcement made
:o-day that an amicable adjustment has been effected
of the protracted differences in regard to the entry
of the Great Western Railway into this town or
Birkenhead, has excited considerable interest both in
Lancashire and Cheshire. We are happy to be en-
abled to state that the contest which has for so long
a period been carried on between the Great Western
and the London and North-Western Railway Com-
panies for possession of the last link of the Shrews-
bury lines, has at length been brought to a conclu-
sion. By an arrangement just entered into between
the Great Western and the Shrewsbury and Chester
Companies jointly with the Birkenhead and Cheshire
Junction Company, the directors of the former have
secured a through passage of their line to Birken-
head, upon condition that they shall not proceed via
Runcorn to Liverpool. The whole of the bridges,
embankments, and cuttings on the Birkenhead and
Cheshire Junction are easily adaptable for
the broad gauge, which, it is generally expected, will
be ultimately carried into effect throughout the whole
line. In reference to these arrangements, the Mail
observes :—" During the last few days depressing
rumours have been rife that the arrangement recently
entered into by the Great Western and Shrewsbury
Railway Companies with the Birkenhead Company
only indicates a determination on the part of the
Great Western to push on to Liverpool by the south
end of the town, if not to invade the Lime street
station itself. We are, however, in a position to state
positively that no such grasping intention exists. On
the contrary, the allied companies are perfectly con-
tent with their intended terminus at Birkenhead, the
transit to which will shortly be placed on a satisfac-
tory footing, while a good understanding will be
sought and cultivated with the great Norrh-Western
and all other neighbouring lines. It is felt to be
infra dig. for boards of directors to step aside to con-
tradict such rumours, but this announcement may be
relied upon as semi-official. It is firmly believed, in
well-informed quarters, that this auspicious arrange-
ment as to the Birkenhead terminus, will open the
door to an amicable settlement of all those untoward
disputes which have so angrily and so injuriously
agitated the railway world of late. If the wiser and
more peaceful counsels of the above allied companies
be followed up severally by the two great rival com-
panies, it needs no seer to predict that there will soon
be a marked improvement in the market value of a
really substantial railway property."

FURTHER OPENING OF THE GREAT NORTHERN.---
The principal portions of the works on the main line
of this company are now fast advancing towards com-
pletion. The different sections on the town lines,
that is to say, from Peterborough to Grantham,
Newark, Worksop, and Sleaford, are being pushed
on with all possible dispatch, and the greatest vigour
is being displayed in every department- A. very large
number of hands are engaged on that part of the line
between Corhy and Hangham, where the works are
heavy, and include two tunnels. The loop junction
to Corby is far advanced towards completion, and
that across the valley of the Trent at Newark is
finished. The stations are being rapidly proceeded
with, and should nothing unfavourable occur the line
will be opened for traffic early in the month of
February.
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE.—The directors of
this company hare for some time past been in com-
munication with the York and North Midland board,
for a mutual agreement between the two companies,
which would be equally beneficial to both. We are
happy to say that the arrangements have been com-
pleted, and that in a day or two we shall be in a
condition to lay the terms before our readers. In the
meantime we may state that they are considered very
satisfactory by both boards.
CALEDONIAN.—The amount of compensation in re-
spect of certain lands in the barony of Gorhals, be-
longing to the city of Glasgow, that have been taken
under the compulsory powers of their Act by the
Caledonian Railway Company, who have deposited a
sum of 20,0001. to meet the claim, has been referred
to the determination of Mr. Anderson, banker, and
Mr. J. Horne, land valuer of Glasgow. The extent
of land taken is 48,436 square yards. The city
claims 15s. a yard, and the railway company con-
tends that it is only worth ss. a yard.
NEWPORT, ADERGAVENNY, AND HEREFORD.--The
works of this line have at length been commenced
in the shape of a tunnel on the road from Monmouth
to Abergavenny.
YORK AND NORTH MIDLAND.—This company
have no new works of any consequence now in hand
They will have to go to Parliament for a Bill for
powers to lease or amalgamate with the East and
West Yorkshire Company, which will probably also
comprise other powers.
BLACKBURN.—In consequence of the great increae
of traffic on this line, the directors of the company
are making the necessary arrangements for the erec-
tion of a large station at Whalley, to which will be
attached an immense range of goods' warehouses.

NAMUR AND LIEGE RAILWAY.
The majority of the railways on the continent owe
their origin to English enterprise, while the principal
trunk lines on the other side of the Channel have
been constructed by English engineers and with
English capital. Having exhausted the resources of
our own country, it was natural enough that the rail-
way speculator should seek a field of operation in the
different states of Europe ; but if the work had to be
done over again itis exceedingly doubtful whether he
would be so ready to invest his money abroad. Not
that the railways themselves have proved unsuccessful

in a pecuniary point of view, but because the various
Governments, who were the first to benefit by them,
have taken unfair advantage of the dependent situa-
tion of the British capitalist. The one sole object of
those Governments would seem to have been nothing
more nor less than obtaining a perfect railway system
at other people's expense without making an ade-
quate return for the benefits which it conferred upon
them. Perhaps no other Government is more repre-
hensible on that score than the Government of Bel-
gium. The lines which they constructed with their
own money, comparatively speaking, cost but a trifle,
so lightly were the works made, and so parsimonious
was the expenditure ; but not so the lines which
have been conceded to private companies. They
took care that those should be built like their
own fortresses, to last for ever, and two
or three of the Belgian provinces, which
formerly could hardly support a three-horse
diligence, are now supplied with lines that are
scarcely inferior to those which belt our own
manufacturing districts. How this is to be accounted
for it is difficult to say, except it be that when once
these undertakings were commenced it was thought
better to go on with them rather than abandon them
altogether, which most likely was the very object
that the Government all along had in view. The last
of these lines, which has been formed with English
capital, is the Namur and Liege Railway; and when
the obstacles which the Government threw in the way
of its dauntless promoters are taken into considera-
tion, the surprise is that it was ever brought to com-
pletion. But it has been completed in spite of police im-
pudence and the stupid surveillance of state engineers,
and now it remains to be seen whether the Government
will allow the concern to have fair play in its work-
ing operations. Up to the present moment they have
shown no such disposition, and unless the company of
proprietors, whose bard cash has been sunk on the
banks of the Meuse, make a determined stand against
the unblushing attempts that will be made to cheat
them of their legitimate traffic, they may give up all
hope of ever receiving any substantial return for
their enterprise. The elements of success are to be
found in the line, and if the managers can only se-
cure what is meant by the terms a clear stage and no
favour, the railway may eventually become
one of the best in Belgium. The open-
ing of the line throughout, from Namur and
Liege, affords tourists who pass through Belgium to
the Rhine an opportunity of viewing the valley of the
Meuse, through which it runs, the most picturesque
portion of the Belgian territory. From the sea to
Brussels the country is of the most uninteresting cha-
racter,
and the traveller to the continent insearcho
the beautiful, as he is dragged along at the maximum
Government ra'.e of travelling, through a dull, flat,
swampy-looking country, begins to fancy that he has
left the best behind in his own little isle, and it is not
until he gets within a few miles of the Prussian fron-
tier that he gets a sight of anything on the present
route which the most enthusiastic lover of nature
could dignify by the name of " ny " Now, how-
ever, that the Namur and Liegesceel Company have
opened their lino through fur passenger traffic, no I
travellers; ought to miss taking
Namur in their way,
as the scenery through whichtheypass is of au en-
tirelY diffnelit citoaQoption how tbat to be found on