The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-01 00:00:00

LONDON,

a condition to entertain the proposal, and to yield every t
assistance which was in their power. He was, also,
on the direction of the Ballymena Railway, which
company was likewise interested in the project ; and
he would repeat what he had before urged, that until
a step were taken Isy the lauded proprietors, no rail-
way company would be in a position to aid in the
project.
Mr. RICHARD Damn:4 said he thought they
should confine themselves to the simple question as to
how far it would be desirable to establish a railway
commencing at Mullingar and terminating at the
terminus of the Ulster Railway. There could be no
doubt that, if they allowed the other proposal to be
carried out, they would allow the trade to be taken
away from their doors. There was a meeting, as they
had heard, to be held in Cavan, on Tuesday next, and
he considered it ought to be distinctly laid before it,
that the project could only be effected through the
instrumentality of a private company, and the landed
proprietors should be urged to come forward and hold
out sufficient inducements to them—to tell them they
would give them all the land that was required for
ten, or twelve, or thirteen years' purchase, as the case
might be. If this were done, there would be no diffi-
culty whatever in getting up a company. But, if the
shareholders had the prospect held out to them of
being left at the mercy of the owners and of the occu-
piers of land through which the line must pass, there
would be difficulties of the most formidable descrip-
tion ; and the fact would deter men of experience in
such matters from embarking in the speculation. If,
he repeated, a liberal offer, of the nature he had de-
scribed, were made, and that they were secured
against the annoyance of the many claimants for over
compensation, then it would be, without doubt, the
interest of the people of Belfast, and of the North
generally, that the thing should be commenced with-
out waiting for the Scotch people to move in the
matter at all. He would only say, further, that he
had himself had a conversation with a gentleman, in
London, who stated to him that, in case such induce-
ments were held out, he would give 10,0001. to com-
mence with.
Mr. M. J. ANKETELL said that he was acquainted
with the feeling of several of the most extensive
landed proprietors through whose estates the line in
question would run, including that of the chairman
and others, and he was in a position to state that it
was decidedly favourable. The line would pass the
estate of Lord Farnham, who would be ready, he was
convinced, to afford the company every facility pos-
sible, and to deal liberally with them ; then there
was Mr. Saunderson, Sir Thomas Leonard, Lord
Rossmore, Mr. Leslie, and Lord Caledon—all of whom
would be favourable to it. He was satisfied, in fact,

that the leading landed proprietors would be happy to
advance the plan so far as to give the required
ground at a moderate valuation.
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD said he was not quite
sure whether the whole of the meeting was aware of
the change which bad taken place in the law, during
the late session, on the subject of the valuation of
land for railway purposes in Ireland. The Land
Clauses Consolidation Act bad been repealed, in so far
as it bore upon such valuations; and it was enacted
that a valuator should be appointed, on application to
the Board of Works, and the company may enter
upon possession of the land they require by lodging
the amount of his award. There was an appeal pro-
vided for by traverse, as to an ordinary county court
presentment, before the next going judge of assize. It
was a most important alteration.
Mr. HEaDMAN observed that one great advantage
to be derived from their opening up communication
with the West of Ireland was this:—They were
placed here—such as were engaged in the linen trade
—in a peculiar position ; for while they had demand
for their linen, aed an actual plethora of yarn, they
could not get weavers in sufficient numbers to manu-
facture the cloth. If they had a railway to connect
them with those portions of the country where the
people were suffering from want of employment,
both parties would be benefited—they would have
the advantage of the labour now going to loss, and the
poor people would have employment.
Mr. M. J. ANXETELL then proposed a resolution
to the effect that the meeting regard( d a line of rail-
way from Armagh to Mullingar as highly desirable
and that, as a preliminary step, the landowners, on the
intended railway, be invited to give every assistance
in their power to the completion of so valuable and
important an undertaking.
Mr. COATES seconded the resolution, which, being
put from the chair by the Right Hon. Chairman, was
carried unanimously.
It was, also, arranged, that a deputation from the
meeting would attend, on Saturday morning, at
eleven o'clock, at the Chamber of Commerce, for the
purpose of coesidering the steps necessary to be taken
in promoting the construction of the line indicated.

FINANCIAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.
On Thursday evening the annual meeting of this
association was held in the Concert Hall, Lord Nel-
son-street ; Robertson Gladstone, Esq., president of the
association, in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, who was received with great
cheering, said that this meeting, strictly speaking,
ought to have been held much earlier in the year,
and so fur as his own convenience was concerned
might have taken place in the commencement of last
month ; but it bad occurred to some of the members
of the council, with perfect good taste and right feel-
ing, that as her Majesty was then about to honour
Liverpool with a visit the exposure of the enormities
of our financial system was not the most fitting wel-
come for royalty, however much they might have
reason to believe the natural bent of her Majesty's dis-
position to be opposed to reckless extravagance-and
national wrong.—(Hear, hear.) The great object of
their opponents was to succeed in representing to the
world that this association was formed for the purpose
of damaging the good old constitution, and even placing
Majesty itself in jeopardy ; but they hoped to show
the country that the purpose is to amend, not to
destroy. It was true, this association, in order
that no charge of omission might hereafter be brought
against them, have, as a matter of form, much more
than in any expectation that their prayer would be
listened to, petitioned the House of Commons, pray-
ing that they would reduce the national expenditure
—revise the entire system of taxation—relieve in-
duAry of its trammels—and, in order that all classes
of the people may bear what is their equitable pro-
portion only of the burdens of the state, that a
system of direct, instead of indirect taxation be sub-
stituted. But from the present House of Commons,
as now constituted, he feared there was little or
nothing to expect. Even the Government appear to
be aware of this evil, and contemplate bringing for-
ward a further measure of Parliamentary reform.
Mr. DOUGLAS E. MILNE, the secretary, read the
report of the committee, which expressed the opinion
that how great soever may be the difficulty of finding
an acceptable and perfect scheme of direct taxation,
no plan can be possibly adopted so full of evil in
every imaginable form, and with so little counter-
vailing advantage of any kind, as that system of taxa-
tion now existing.
Mr. A. C. STEWART moved the adoption of the r€-
port. He exposed the impolicy, absurdity, and
wickedness of spending the national money in sup-
porting schools and carrying out sanitary improve-
ments, while the Government imposed taxes on
knowledge, and duties on soap, tea, and all those
articles which render home happy, and induce habits
of sobriety and morality in a people. Such taxes, he
said, ought to be repealed at once and for ever.
Mr. F. BOULT, in seconding the motion, observed
that the two objects which the association had in view
were a due and efficient economy in the expenditure
of the country, and a thorough reform of the existing
system of taxation.
The CHAIRMAN put the resolution, which was car-
ried unanimously.
Mr. E. BRODRIBB then, in a long and able address,
which was repeatedly cheered, moved the adoption of
a petition in accordance with the objects of the
meeting.
Mr. L. HEY WORTH, M.P., seconded the resolution.
The resalution was put and carried.
Mr. C. ROBERTSON moved the appointment of the
officers and committee for the ensuing year. Mr.
Robertson Gladstone was named as president, and
Mr. Lawrence Heyworth, M.P., vice-president.
Mr. C. E. RAWLINS seconded the resolution, which
was also carried unanimously ; and, after a vote of
thanks to the chairman, the meeting broke up.—
Liverpool Chronicle.