The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-08 00:00:00

/.„
II;(
12 NORWEGIAN WAILWA
he following account of the eerationy of eu,,,
ifirst sod of this railway appears in the Nurse
3!ers. This important line is to run from Christiatuk—,',
,15 Lake Morsen. Its length is only fifty miles, but it',4l- vra-bJ'A'-12`''
will connect the seaboard of Norway with several
hundred miles of inland navigation. The conceoion
has been granted by the Government of Norway to a
company of capitalists, consisting of Mr. Peto,
Mr. Ricardo, M.P., and Mr. Brassey. Mr. Robert
Stephenson and Mr. Bidder are the engineers ; and
the contractors for the works (which are to be finished
within two years) are Mr. George Merritt and Mr.
Earle.
At twelve o'clock on the Bth ult. the Government
land municipal authorities of Christiana, together with
la large proportion of the members of the Storthingt,
marched in procession from the bishop's palace to the•
spot outside the city where the ceremony was to be
performed. Galleries were erected for the accommo-
dation of about 800 ladies. The enclosure was deco-
rated with English and Norwegian flags. The scene
was enlivened by several military bands. Mr. veto,
Mr. Stephenson, and Mr. Bidder, having received
his Excellency the Stadtholder Lovenakiold, the
barrow and silver spade required for the opePe•
tion, were presented to that distinguished fund"
tionary. The first sod having been cleverly dug ands
wheeled off amid the cheers of the assembled multi-
tude, the firing of a royal salute, and the perform-
ance of the national airs by the ril;litary bands, his
Excellency made an eloquent speech, in which he
expatiated upon the advantages to be derived by his
country from the construction of this ,railway, and
congratulated his auditors that it was to be made by
English engineers and English contractors, and that
the money was to be provided by English capitalists.
This sentiment was received with enthusiastic bursts
of applause. A patriotic song, appropriate t`o the
occasion, and composed expressly for it, was then
sung by the united singing clubs of the town ;
the work commenced by the Stadtholder was imme-
diately followed up by 50 picked " navvies," who,.
with shovel in hand, quickly afforded a visible speci-
men of their handiwork. a...a.,,taajltaginlV;4A
In the evening a sumptuous dinner was given by ' • '
the magistrates and corporation of the city to about
250 persons, amongst whom, in addition to the Stadt-
holder, Messrs. Peto, Stephenson, and Bidder, were
Mr. J. R. Crowe, the British Consul-General (to
whose perseverance and negotiations the Norwegians
are indebted for the construction of this railway) •
Sir Thomas D. Acland, Bart., M.P., and severei
other English visitors. The Mayor of the city pre-
sided. The toast of " His Majesty the King" and of
" Queen Victoria" having been responded to, amid
deafening cheers, salutes of cannon, and feux de joie,
the " Health of Slr. Robert Stephenson" was drunk,
and most enthusiastically responded to.
Mr. STEPHENSON said—ln rising to burden you with
my thanks for the honour which you have done me, I
must at once declare to you that the flattering ex-
pressions with which the mayor has associated my
name are not due solely to me, but that the great
merit of it belongs to others with whom I have had
the good fortune to be connected. In the first place,
I am bound to direct your notice to the British
Consul-General, who originally drew my attention
to Norway. It was from his clear, honest, and
truthful exposition of the various facts connected with
this undertaking that I was induced to investigate the
feasibility of the project which has this day been so
auspiciously begun. In the next place, in my first
visit to Norway I was accompanied by my valued and
esteemed friend, Mr. Bidder, whose experience in
railway engineering is scarcely inferior to my own.
To his excellent co-operation you must attribute much
of the success which has attended our exertions, and
to his engineering skill our future progress must be
greatly indebted. These are the two names with
which the Norwegian Railway must always be asso-
ciated in my mind ; but it is neither to their name,
nor my own that you as Norwegians are indebted for
your railway ; it is to your own steady perseverance
and enlightened Government that you owe the events
of this day, and that you will be indebted for the conse-
quences that will flow from them. Had these elements
not been brought to bear, the assistance of English
enterprise could never have been obtained. The
mayor has alluded to the difficulties which you have
had to surmount on the score of poverty, but this is
seldom one of the principal difficulties which railways
have to contend with. In my own country, where
w-

, .ancitit

iealtb, and power, and enterprise exists to a degree
almost unheard of in the world's history, there, on
the commencement of railways, difficulties of a dif-
ferent character had to be surmounted—prejudice
and almost overwhelming antagonistic interests were
arrayed against their introduction; indeed, those who
are acquainted with the progress of railways in Eng-
land must marvel how so much has been done in so
short a period of time. Thirty years have scarcely
passed away since my revered father, George Stephen-
son, was deliberately characterised as a madman by
members of the British Legislature, when he slated
his confidence that the locomotive engine could be
made to realise two Norwegian-miles per hour. Hi'
statements were received with derision. I need not
occupy your time by expatiating on the results. Pre-
judice was overcome and science prevailed, and man-
kind is now in possession of one of the most civilising
agents the operations of which history has yet been
called upon to record. It was impossible for Norwe-
gians, from whom the Britons derive so many of their
characteristic qualities, to rest satisfied without enter-
ing the great race of progress. You have, no doubt, phy-
sical difficulties to contend with, but nature has been
bountiful in scattering splendid navigable lakes
throughout your land, which go far to compensate
you. Let me for one moment call your attention to
the nature of the contract which now exists between
your Government and the enterprising men who
have come forward with a portion of the capital
necessary for completing your railway. In that con-
tract I am called upon to act as arbitrator between
the parties. This position involves great responsi-
bilities, and would have been to me insufferable had
I not felt that both interests were actuated by the
most honourable and liberal intentions. The Nor-
wegian Government may rest assured that I am
deeply sensible of the high trust which they have
placed in my hands, add that it will be exercised, if
occasion may require it, with the strictest imparti-
ality. I may, perhaps, err in judgment, but my
appreciation of the compliment they have thus paid
me will always protect me from erring intentionally.
Mr. FROLICH, a member of the corporation then
proposed "The health of the English Capitalists,
Messrs. Ricardo, Peto, and Brassey. '
Mr. Pro replied in the following terms :—Gen-
tlemen, in acknowledgiug the honour you have done
my colleagues and myself; permit me to express my
great regret that one of them has been prevented the
honour and pleasure of accepting your hospitality by
the necessity of his presence in Italy at the opening
of a railway there ; and that the other was
compelled to remain in London by legislative
engagements. The undertaking so auspiciously com-
menced to day is fraught with benefit to your coun-
try and my own—it will in its completion place your
fatherland a century in advance—it will develop your
natural resources, and bring our nations into close
contact—and though, as capitalists, we necessarily
look to self-interest as the first motive in action, we
are not insensible that there are other motives than
mere money value. Our countries have a common
sympathy—you have a Sovereign whom you affect-
tionately regard, who not only commands your loy-
alty but reigns through your love—you have a con-
stitutional country whose interests are entwined round
your sympathies, and whose advancement is the main
spring of all your actions. We, too, have a Queen
who reigns paramount in our devotion and regard.
We, too, have a country and constitution, whose well-
being is our constant care, and we cannot forget there
are historical incidents which bind us closely; and
the cordial reciprocity of to-day makes me feel
that the sentiment of your hearts are in unity with
mine, and that, were they audibly expressed, your re.
sponse would be, " Were we not Norwegians we would
be Englishmen." But unless a weekly communication
be established, by means of steam vessels, with London,
our proceeding of to-day is but one step in advance. It
is a movement the value of which will be but half felt. I
see before me, if properly followed up, the practicabi-
lity of placing the centre of Norway as near to our
yitoorusryso
capital as was the city of Edinburgh before railways
and steam-vessels were known ; and if you lace
yndterend.vis
Christiana and London within sixty hours off ---
yanoouthweirllwtheeeknlyo,afycer eavheur
your Storthing must feel that a direct '
circuitous traffic with us is all important instead of a
com-
mon interest, and then let me a to our
splendid mountain scenery,ouvenrhewianha°:7l
assure you that your
unique fyords, your stupendousl your lovely lakes, you,
waterfalls, will bring
all my pleasure-seeking countrymen, to whom the
Continent are a beaten track, to
your shores. And is it
tally an object worthy not commercially commercially and go,
as-
sured you will your effort, and one I feel
prosecute with all your native energy'
and intentness of n out our en-
gagements purpose ? In carrying
gagetnents as capitalistsemploy are
the parties we
for Yean•
those we have knownl
and sated with
They will
not supplant your industry
rattier to direct
troduction of hot ers, but attempt _
of those works
your own industry in the execution
undertaking which
than to seek foreign aid. And this.rease of capital
will so ultimately promote Your •
rs lion to completion,
and comfort will, in its tkini. I should her
aid your industrious
do injustice to my feeling
were I not to refer to
own manner in which the on!
the open, frank, and candidtby your Government, and
pitalists have been
especially by the
ni
terror,
commands
not
progressing be has not o
ours.
only the construction
raising
ar-
rival a
in you
letter,showing how
chief of the department of the in-
given us his confidence, but
We see, under his fostering care,
of new and splendid roads
r country, but I found on my ar-
thoroughly all, even the
minutest matters, have his judicious regard ; he
of
called my attention to the moral and medical eV*