The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-09 00:00:00

LONDON and YORK RAILWAY.

A meeting of the inhabitants of the town and•neigh-
bourhood of Huntingdon was held on Friday last, in the
Town hall at Huntingdon, in compliance with a mime-
ly -0;1114 .Cl -;:a to ng
upon him to hoid a public meeting to take into consi-
deration the railway from London to York.
DENNIS HERBERT, Esq., Mayor of Huntingdon, in
the chair.
A deputation from the Directors of the London and
York Railway Company having attended the public
meeting, called by Lord Fitzwilliam at Peterborough on
the previous day, and having there heard of the pro-
posed meeting at Huntingdon, three members of the de-
putation, consistine. of Francis Mowatt, Esq., Deputy
Chairman ; Richer's]. Hodgson, Esq., M.P., and Francis
Pym, Esq., accompanied by Mr. Rose, one of the soli-
citors to the Company, were present.
The MAYOR having opened the business of the meet-
ing by reading the requisition,
Mr. Wm. SWEETINO proposed the following resolu-
tion That it would be very desirable that the pro-
jected railway from London to York should pass as near
to the western side of the town of Huntingdon as possible."
Mr. Coocu seconded the resolution. The terms of it
were quite in accordance with the opinion of the town.
If the line passed anywhere in the neighbourhood it
should be as close as possible, and the feeling he
believed was unanimous, that it should pass on the
western side.
Lord Sammie's congratulated the town of Hun-
tingdon on the prospect of a railway in their imme-
diate neighbourhood, but he had some objection to
the wording of the resolution. He opposed the
Blisworth" and Peterborough line last year, which
was only carried by a majority of one, from
a fear that it would be the means of preventing a more
direct communication, and now that a chance, and he
believed a certain one appeared of having a most impor-
tant line of railway brought into their neighbourhood, he
should be sorry that the town should throw the
slightest difficulty in the way, by attempting to fetter
the Committee as to which side of the town it should
pass. All they were justified in attempting was to
have it as close to the town as possible; but whether
on the east or on the west, should be left to the
Directors. The engineer was not present, and he
had heard no particular arguments in favour of
the western side. His opinion was that it mattered
little whether it passed on the east or on the west, so
that it was close.
Mr. Coocu objected to the omission of the western
side from the resolution.
Lord SANDWICH—It may effect people upon whose
land it will pass, but it cannot effect the town. The
Directors woufd be best influenced by the support the
town afforded them. He hoped the meeting would largely
support the undertaking by subscribing for shares to the
extent of their ability. As far as he was personally con-
cerned, though his property would be most affected, he
would only consult the interest of the town. He recom-
mended the meeting to agree to general principles, and
then to consult with the Directors as to the precise
course of the lice.
The resolution was then put, with the omission of the
words " western side," and carried unanimously.
Mr. Mowm, Deputy-chairman of the Company, said
that although he and his brother Directors were present
more in the character of listeners, not having been in-
vited to the meeting, and having only accidentally heard of
it the day before, yet it might be interesting to the inha-
bitants to hear the probable course of the line, so far as it
was likely to affect their local interests. He reminded
the meeting that the undertaking was in the hands of
gentlemen of various interests, including many who were
desirous of embarking their capital in what they consi-
dered would be a prosperous concern. It would occur
to the meeting that those gentlemen who supply the ca-
pital were naturally desirous to consult the wishes of the
whole country through which the line would pass, that
if diverted from their original design, and led to incur
additional expense and additional risk, in order to benefit
this or that town, they would of course be swayed by the
support given by the town requiring such diversion. Ile
did not mention this to throw difficulties in the way.
They might rest assured that wherever possible, it was
their wish to pass near to, if not through, all the great
towns. They could only hope for the large return the
line was capable of yielding by securing all the traffic
the line could supply, consequently the Directors were
quite as desirous as the inhabitants that the line should
miss near to, and wherever possible, through the towns.
In so great a line (the greatest ever yet undertaken in
this or any other country, and when they considered
that the main trunk extended to a space of no less than
200 miles, and in no instance had so large a capital been
required, he might well describe it as the greatest un-
dertaking of modern times) it was hardly necessary to
draw the attention of the meeting to the necessity of
considering, not merely the interests of a particular
section, but the interests of the mass. The chief object
was to secure the traffic; and the Committee of Direction,
feeling the immense responsibility of defining the exact
course of the line very early, sought for an impartial
and independent authority. They came to the conclusion
that it was the safer and more prudent course to instruct a
man of the-highest eminence in his profession to survey
the intervening county, and leave the case in his -hands for '
decision. With this view they appointed Mr. Locke,
whose name alone was the requisite guarantee for im-
partiality and ability. Mr. Locke had been engaged
some time in considering the direction of the line, and
the report would be received in the following week. lle
had been one of the deputation to accompany Mr.
Locke in his survey, and could testify to the great val
and attention he had devoted to the case. As he had
thus become acquainted with Mr. Locke's opinion, it
might be satisfactory to the inhabitants to know, that
although the plan might be modified, he believed at
present it was Mr. Locke's intention to bring the line
close up to the western side of the town; but he must
expressly tell them that circumstances might occur to
modify that opinion, and that he was pledged to Mr.
Locke, if he had occasion to quote his present intention,
to do so with that qualification. He was pleased with
the observations of the Noble Lord as to the inexpe-
diency of fettering the Directors, the engineers, or them-
selves, as to any particular course. The Directors would
be swayed, as far as possible, by the wishes of the
inhabitants, but any resolution of theirs could not alter
the question—if the engineer decided upon the east or
the west side the expression of their adverse opinion,
however much to be regretted, could not interfere with
the decision. He concluded by saying, that, notwith-
standing the advances of railway. communication, such
were the proceedings of the existing companies that, but
for the present line, the town of Huntingdon was in
danger of being left behind in the race of civilisation by
lines being constructed to the east and to the west.
Mr. DAVID VEASEY paid a high compliment to Mr,
Mowatt, for the clear, able, and impartial manner in
which he had explained the views and proceedings of
the Directors, and moved—" That this meeting will
give its cordial and strenuous support in furtherance of,
the objects of the London and York Railway Company,'
which was seconded by Mr. Ward, and carried unani-
mously.
Mr. RICHARD lIODOSON, M.P, was anxious to address
a few words to the meeting although the subject had al-
ready been so fully and ably discussed. He tendered
the thanks of the Directors to the Noble Lord
who was ready to cede what might be his private inter-
est for the pod of the town, and promised his hearty
support on whichever side of the town the line might
pass. An allusion had been made in very unfavourable
terms to the line from Blisworth to Peterborough, con-
structing by the London and Birmingham Company. He
felt some diffidence in alluding to the subject, for he was
compelled to confess that, unlike the Noble Lord, he was
one of those culprits who had done all in his power to
forward that Bill. If he could ever have supposed that
the passing of that Bill would prove an impediment to
a more direct communication, he would have opposed it
to the utmost. He had the most distinct assurance at
the time from all parties connected with the London and
Birmingham Company that it was not intended to pre-
vent a line from London to the north, but merely to
supply a communication from east to west. He was still
willing to take that assurance for what he did then. He held
that the London and Birmingham Company were bound,
in honour to throw no impediment in the way of a direct
line. By the assurances they made to procure support
for their cross line they were bound, and if parties did
appear to oppose this as a competing line before a Com-
mittee of the House of Commons, so long as the pro-
moters of the present line kept to their plan of the most
direct line, he believed the opposition would be scouted
by every Member of either House. He was aware that
reports had been circulated, and he believed purposely,
to the effect that the undertaking had been abandoned,
and others of a like nature. Active means had also been
adopted to prevent a subscription of the capital, but he
was happy to assure the meeting that they had been un-
successful, and he had no hesitation in stating, from ac-
tual facts, that not only would all the money be raised,
but that they would go to Parliament in the ensuing
session in the most flourishing condition. He was glad
of the opportunity of publicly contradicting all these re-
ports so industriously circulated, and he could assure
them of his full belief that the Bill would pass through
Parliament in the ensuing session, and become the law
of the land.
Mr. Pim, one of the Directors, gave an account of the
proceedings in Bedfordshire in connexion with the pro-
posed line, and stated the large number of shares sub-
scribed for in places of less importance than Hunting-
don in the early stages of the undertaking.
After a short discussion the resolution was adopted
and thanks having been voted to the Chairman, the
meeting separated.

FEATHERED TWINS.—About ten days ago John
Campbell, of Rhonehouse, by Castle Douglas, discovered
at Airieland, a skylark's nest, containing several young
birds, obviously the product of a second hatching. On
examining the callow brood, he was astonished to find
two of them bound together by a ligature covered with
feathers, centred in, and extending from breast to breast.
The said belt, pipe, or whatever it may be called, leaves
scope for the action of the inner wings, so that the pair
thus singularly united will be able to fly when fully
grown, or mount aloft, trilling their matins, if permitted
to escape.—Dumfries Courier.
SALE or ESTATES.—During the last two or three
months there has been a sale of landed property in Fife
which is quite unprecedented. In that time there have
been sold—the lands of Pitlessie, for 19,7501., to the
Dowager Lady Glasgow ; Newbiggin, to Mr. Johnson,
for, we believe. about 19,5001. ; Teuchats to the College
of St. Andrew's, for 4,0004 ; Myreside, 4,000/., to Mr.
Currie, Leven ; Pitmedden for about 5,000/. ; King.
lassie for nearly the same sum. Within a short period
also the estates of Balgarvie, Radernie, and Smiddy.
green. in this county, have been purchased.—Fifeslure
Herald.
It appears to be universally admitted that the crop
of wheat, which will fall before the husbandman in the
progress of the next month, is the finest and most abun-
dant that ever stood upon British grottutl.—Norwich
Mercury. ,