The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-10 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

•LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST.
A special general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the Bridge-house Hotel, London-
bridge, to consider a bill in compliance with the
Wharncliffe standing order to enable the company
to make certain alterations in their existing and
authorised railways, to make a new railway at
Norwood, and to purchase and take on lease other
undertakings ; and also a bill for authorising the
London and South Western Railway Company to
make new w orks, and to raise further funds—Mr.
L. Schuster in the chair.
The SECRETARY having read the notice conven-
ing the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN, before proceeding with the busi-
ness of the day, said it was the duty of the board
to give the shareholders an account of their stew-
ardship in respect of the contest between them
and the South Western Railway Company. He
then entered into a history of his connexion with
the company, the policy since pursued by them
with regard to other companies, and their
arrangements and agreements with the South
Western Company. He joined the Brighton about
thirteen years ago, just at the period of their
amalgamation with the Croydon Company. This
brought them into wars and difficulties with other
companies. At that time Mr. Grenfield was chair-
man of the company. On joining the board lie
(Mr. Schuster) strongly advocated a policy of peace
and conciliation, so that they might direct their
attention to the development of the traffic, and en-
deavour to live in peace with their neighbours.
That policy was adopted by the board, and acted
Icon ever since. They had not gone to Parliament
for powers to interfere with any of their neigh-
bours' lines. When they went to Parliament it
was for the purpose of defending their own rights,
or to promote small branches for the accommoda-
tion of districts near their line. There were the
Hailsham and Eastbourne, the Horsham, the East
Grinstead, the Henfield, and the Mid-Sussex.
Everyone of those were feeders to their main line,
and none of them interfered with the traffic of any
other company. In 1847 they obtained a line from
Brighton to Portsmouth, and when it was on the
point of opening the South-Western proposed to
make a line from Fareham into Portsmouth. See-
ing that opposition would arise, they proposed to
the South-Western Company, who were then about
to expend £150,000 to no purpose, to become joint
proprietors of the line from Corsham to Ports-
mouth. Those propositions were adopted in Octo-
ber, 1848, and a valid agreement was entered into
between the two companies, which remained good
to the present day. He considered they had the
best line to Portsmouth, as it was almost a level.
Some modification was made in the agreement in
1852 in respect to the Gosport traffic. In the same
year Mr. Locke, the engineer of the South-Western,
projected a line from Godalming to Havant, which
was called the Portsmouth Railway, and since the
onnpletion of which the competiton had arisen. In
the new agreement of 1852 it was stipulated that
neither company was to act separately from the
other with respect to the new scheme from Godal-
ming to Havant without the assent of both parties.
One of the clauses in the agreement of the 7th of
January, 1858, with the South-Western Company
stipulated that in the event of the Portsmouth
line being completed between Godalming
and Havant it might be purchased by
the South-Western at cost price, the receipts
going into a common purse, but that neither company
were to deal separately to purchase or lease it. He
then adverted to a long correspondence between the
two companies respecting the Portsmouth traffic,
from which it appeared that the South-Western had
expressed their determination to become sole lessees
of the Portsmouth Railway. The Brighton Com-
pany offered to become joint lessees with them, but
that was positively refused on the 30th September
last, on the ground that Parliament would not
sanction a joint lease. The Brighton Company pro-
posed to leave the whole matter to a competent re•
ference, but that was refused by the South-Western
Company. On the 2d of March the latter company
commenced to work the Portsmouth line, and thus
broke their engagements with the Brighton Com-
pany. On the 14th March the Brighton Company
tooks the steps they considered necessary with
respect to the Portsmouth traffic, and the result of
the competition had been so far satisfactory. The
Portsmouth line had bad gradients of 1 in 80 for
some miles, and could not be worked cheaply. It
would cost at least £50,000 a year to work it.
Taking the receipts and expenses from the 14th of
March to the 7th inst. in respect of the Portsmouth
traffic, it was evident the Brighton Company had
benefited pretty well by the contest. On the 22d of
April he had received a letter from Capt. Mangles,
the chairman of the South-Western Company,
enclosing a resolution of the Board expressing an
opinion that the competition was detrimental to the
interests of both companies, and they were ready
to raise the fares to and from Portsmouth and the
Isle of Wight without delay. He (the chairman)
replied immediately, and suggested that a deputa-
tion of the boards of each company should meet to
arrange the terms, but had received no answer with
respect to the proposed conference. He then adverted
to the various attacks that had been made on their
line in the district through which it passed by the
South-Western Company, at Epsom and other places,
which he thought was the worst part of their differ-
ences. Those things would have to be provided for in
any arrangement that might be made between the
two companies. He concluded by moving a formal
resolution approving the bill.
Mr. SCOTT seconded the motion.
The Solicitor read the heads of " A Bill to enable
the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway
Company to make certain alterations in their exist.
ing and authorised railways, to make a new railway
at Norwood ; to acquire additional lands for station
accommodation, and to purchase or take on lease
other undertakings, and for other purposes."
In reply to questions, it was stated that the length
of the new line at Norwood was 800 yards. The
additional capital was £lOO,OOO on shares, and
£33,000 on loan.
Mr. HEREPATH said he had gone over the line
to Portsmouth, and he understood the number of
passengers by both routes were about equal, and
they had a considerable addition to their Isle of
Wight traffic. He trusted that nothing would be
left undone to arrive at a settlement of the dispute
between the two companies as soon as possible.
Mr. ADDISON thought it all very well for direc-
tors to enter into those disputes, but the share-
holders knew nothing. about them, and were never
consulted beforehand. It was utterly useless for
directors to endeavour to defeat a railway or other
measure sanctioned by Parliament. They had better
try to accommodate the public in the new district
and avoid competition. He hoped the directors of
both companies would endeavour to settle the dis-
pute.
Mr. BRIGG thought that if the shareholders of
the South-Western Company had been aware that
their directors had not adhered to their agreement
with the Brighton Company they would have re-
jected the proposition for leasing and purchasing
the Portsmouth Railway.
Mr. MICHELIN considered the directors of the