The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-16 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

We learn, from gocd authority, ttiat the pre fiction
which we ventured to wake a few days since, that the
section of Liverpool shareholders ale', under the dicta-
tion and guidance of Mr. W. Williams, the ex-Member
for Coventry, have raised an opposition against the
directors for:mere party purposes, would sustain a sir,ral
defeat, has b,-en realised to a mortifying extent, witch
we must confess we did not anticipate. In power and
influence we knew the Liverpool opposition to be
thoroughly insignificant and contemptible, but we did
think that before they determined to put the company to
a large expenditure in issuing proxy stamps, seriously
interrupting the business of the management, and
creating mischievous doubts respecting its wisdom and
efficiency--we did, we repeat, imagine that they
had calculated their forces, end would possibly
make a "decent death of it." The factious opposition
of the northern section of shareholders has, however,
more than verified the table of the mountain and the
mouse. After all the bluster and " fury," their noise
really "signifies" act mparative "nothing." Tiley have
liter illy "moved heaven and earth" in whipping up
proxies, and have resorted to all those little Economfce.l
manoeuvres which, in these days of railway depression,
are so well calculated to enlist in their support the
natural nervousness of railway shareholders, but with a
lamentably miserable rasult. The information we have
obtained, and which we believe may be fully relied on,
is, that the directors have had their policy sanctioned by
not only an overwhelming but an annihitaiiitOrtiajerity of
vet 8, and an enormous preponderance of th, stock of
the company—to an extent, in fact, that can scarcely
fail to astonish even Mr. W. Williams and his " demo-
nical" friends.

W• trust that this defeat will have a proper effect upon
the ex-Member for Coventry and his party.
Since writing the above we have been put in pos-
session of a fact that will, we think, be quite conclusive
with the Great Western shareholders on the injurious
tendency of the niggardly policy which the section
of Liverpool shareholders would, if they could, pursue
in reference to the salaries of the able and zealous otfii-
cers of the company. Mr. Seymour Clarke, the present
traffic superintendent of the line, has been in the service
of the company for upwards of 13 years; that is from
its formation. With, perhaps, two or three exceptions
a more valuable officer is not to be found in the com-
pany's service. In the course of the experimental in-
vestigations we have, during the last four or five years,
been permitted by the. courtesy of the management to
make or to witness upon the Great Western, on the
questions of railway accommodation and economy,
we have, on numerous occasions, had opporttinities
of judging of Mr. Clarke's ability, and of
his untiring indefatigability in promoting the
interests of the undertaking. We have, not once, twice,
nor thrice, but more than fifty times, found him at the
Paddington station long before the starting of the
earliest train, and as frequently seen him on the station
to meet the last up train at night. At all times, and
upon all portions of the line, we have witnessed his zsal
and activity, and have on many occasions found our-
selves in the same compartment with him, and seen him,
while on his journey, "hard at work," either engaged in
reading his letters, or writing instructions to the station-
masters along the line, and which instructions we have
noticed him leave at the various stations. MEd-hearted,
but firm, in his conduct to all persons under him, he has
earned a railway character which be may be justly proud
of. At the time the consultation committee commenced
its labours, his thirteen years' hard, valuable, and
very responsible services, had earned for him a
salary of 9001. per annum. The consummation of the
" economy" of the Liverpool section of shareholders
would reduce his salary to 6001 a year. And what is
th• consequence of the attempted introduction cif such a
policy? lie retires from the compaiiy whose iutsrests
he hus greatly promoted, and goes, a higher salary.
as superintendent of the Great Northern Railway. Teas
is the third able officer whose retirement from the ser-
vice is attributable to the wretched policy of the Liver.
poo! economists. And this is not all. Immeil.ately the
report of the consultation committee was circulated, se-
veral of the valuable assistants resigned their situation.
being utterly without hi ipe of benefiting themselves
atter a long period of service. We are personally cog-
nisant of the fact that the company are at this moment
suffering seriously trom the consequences of the ecano
mical interference of Mr. W. W. Williams and his party.
For the apparent saving of u paltry amount per annum
the Great Western Company lose the services of one of
the most able, if not the most able railway superintendent
of the country. So much for an unjust and a beggarly
economy.—Herald.