The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-11 00:00:00

SOLICITORS,

Messrs. a Beckett, Sup, & Sympson, 7, Gulden-square.
Mr. Vaughan Prance, Nether Stowey and Bridgwater.

E. F. Dayrell,
.Esq,
W. lt.Viger,

MANAGING DIRVCTORS.
James Collama, E?q.
W. S. Potter, Esq.
Salim' Pocock, Esq.
James Morrison, Esq
'Award Parratt.

W: S. "Esq:
W. F. Beation, Esq. •

SEcarrAßT Mr: I

BANK:

Messrs. Strachan and Co. ; and ]
Messrs. Stuckey and Co.;Bristol,
Mesa's. Badcock, Taunton and

Alesars. Robarts and Co., London
, Bridgwater, and Taunton.
ounster.

One of the principal objects this Company has in view, is a great
saving of time in the journey from Ireland and South Wales to
'Bristol and London, by avoiding the tedious and dangerous passage
of the Bristol Channel, and at the same time effecting the long
sought-for communication between the English and Bristol Channels,
all of which will be gained by connecting Minehead with Bridge-
water by a Railway, and there forming ,a junction with the railways
already opened, and also with those now in actual progress between
Bridgwater and the commodious and important port of Poole.
The question of an eligible steam-packet and post-office station on,
the Somersetshire coast for Ireland, Wales, and the Westward gene-'
rally, from whence vessels may arrive and depart at all threes, vnth-
out reference to tide, has for many years past been regarded as,one,
of immense importance to.the,Goveniment and the,public. , .„.

By making Minehead a postroftleo. station, a saving of ,twelve
;hours wig be effacrted in.theatelivory •of letters. ifetween Ireland ,twd..
the whiale'of theivest and South ornigland ; and 'no' other port on
the coast of Somerset (or even on the north of Devon) will be=so'
safe, and sheltered from all the prevailing winds.
At Minehead, the proposed railway will run down on a pier, which
the largest class steamers may approach, and land and embark pas-
sengers at ail states of the tide, and again proceed at once into the
Western Ocean on their outward voyage. •
Tile public is perhaps hardly aware that, even with the present
imperfect and rude arrangements for landing passengers at Weston
Super-Mare, it is found that passengers from Ireland and the impor-
tant ports &the south of Wales save several *hours by landing at that
place ; whereas, by the proposed pier and railway nom .Minehead,
passengers would save generally twelve hours, and very often a great
deal more, on their journey to London, avoiding, besides, the dangers
of the Bristol Channel.

It is not among the least striking features of this project that it
forms part of a grand scheme for shortening the communication
between Ireland and Wales with Jersey, Guernsey, Paris, and the
Continent generally, as passengers landed at Minehead will proceed
by this railway to others now ill progress via Yeovil ant Dorchester
to Poole, from which port the distance to Cherbourg is only sixty
miles, thus rendering the distance from Minehead to Cherbourg easily
perforated in eight hours and a half; and from Cherbourg a railway
is now •hi course of limitation to Paris. The distance also to the
Channel Islands is reduced in the same proportion. A powerful com-
pany, fully alive to the advantages of this mode of transit in prefe-
rence to the more tedious one via Southampton and Havre, is about
to put en a line of packets between the ports of Poole and Cherbourg
and the Channel Islands, thus shortening the route in point of time
by about seventeen hours.
This Company, in showing to the public the probable amount of
traffic which will flow over their line, beg leave to draw attention to
the followincf extracts, taken from a prospectus of a Company, formed
under the auspices of the Chairman of the Great Western Company,
and the leading bankers and merchants of Bristol, for making a pier
at, and railway from Portbury, to Bristol, and on which no further
comment will be made, save that whatever applies to Portbury, ap-
plies with infinitely greater force to Minehead, both in the saving of
time, dang r, delay, and expense.
" There are at the present time engaged in the trade with South
Wales, Sotnersetshirc, Devonshire, Cornwall, Liverpool, and Ireland,
twenty-three steam-vessels of the aggregate tonnage of upwards of
6,000 tons, making rather better that fifty voyages, or 100 arrivals
and departures per week on an average throughout the year.
"The principal part of the traffic of the whole of these vessels con-
sists of passengers, whilst of their goods traffic an important portion
consists of merchandize brought by, and intended fercarriage on, the
existing railways, from and to places on either side of Bristol. '• For
the conduct of this traffic, every vessel will necessarily require to use
the pier and railway on each occasion of departure and arrival, as
the most expeditious, convenient, and economical mode of conveying
such traffic to or towards Its place of destination.
" The number of passengers carried by the existing steam-boats.
amounts to at least 200,000 per annum ; and when it is considered
that the fficilities afforded by the pier of starting and arriving at ail
times of the tide, will enable vessels which now perform but one
voyage per diem, or every alternate day, to and ftom the nearer
ports in South Wales, to make such voyages three or four times in
the same day, at very trifling, if any, additional cost— that on the
voyages to Swansea, Tenby, and lift acombe, they will effect a saving
of one-half the time now occupied, and that similar advantageswill
be derived by the trade with Cornwall and Ireland, it can_ neither be
doubted that the expense -of conveyance between Bristol and those
places will be considerably reduced,Aor that the effect of such re-
duction, combined with the advantage of greater certainty As to the
times of. departure and arrival, must have the effect of causing a
great increase in the number of passengers.

"A large and most valuable portion of the merchandise carried by

the Cornish, Welsh, and Irish steam-boats consists of fish, poultry,
eggs, vegetables, and other articles of provision ; speed and certainty
in the conveyance and delivery of articles of so perishable a nature
are obviously essential, and the facilities in this respect afforded by
the pier are such as to secure this traffic to the undertaking.
" A very considerable revenue will also be derived from the landing
and carriage of Liver tock brought by the Irish steam boats, which
being imported fat and ready to kill, now suffer touch injury from the
detention of the vessels in Kingroad whilst waiting for tide."
Although it is unnecessary to calculate upon the whole of this im-
portant and justly founded traffic, it is nevertheless impossible to
over-estimate the large portion of it that will c•,me over this line,
when it is remembered that by the proposed scheme thOharbour of
Waterford will, by means of powerful steamers, be brought within
twelve, and the ports of Dublin and Cork within fifteen hours of the
terminus at Minehead, by which the danger, inconvenience, and un-
pleasantness of travelling by night will be altogether avoided.

SL) also must the traffic derived from steam-boats, and on the line
itself, be added, which will arise from the immense resort of persons
seeking pleasure in the beautiful vicinities of Nether Stowey, Blue
Anchor, Minehead, Porlock, Linton, Lynmouth, and the far-famed
Valley of Rocks mid adjacent country, so aptly termed the Switzer-
land of England, and which only require increased facilities to be
much more than even at present resorted to ; and so great is the
existing traffic that, by the calculations already made, a large reve-
nue will be derived from this source alone.

The present number of cattle sent to Bristol from Ireland alone is
upwards of 150,000 head per annum, and it is only reasonable to ex-
pect that these will be landed at the far nearer port of Minehead,
thereby creating a considerable source of revenue.
The importance of this railway to the agricultural district of North
Somerset is incaleu'able for disseminating, as manure, in every di-
rection the celebrated lime of Caunington Park, from which, a Al also
from the carrying of coal, a large revenue will arise. -

Memel thuberbrought into the port of Poole (the harbour dues of

which are very insignificant) can be unshipped, carried across by
rail, and re-shipped at Mtnehead, at a cost of 7s. per ton less hi
frei ht, than if carried round the Landsend, exclusive of the gre:.t
saving in time ; this alone will open a large trade with Wales, as
vessels will bring over coals to Minchead, and take back thnber,
limestone,. flour, mine, slates, and copper ore.

The blue liee lime-stone of Watcher, so admirably adapted for
:upiatie banding, will also i.roduce a considerable revenue to this
undertaking.
'flie flour and provision trade, at present carried on between the
nilnini districts of South Wales and the coast of Somerset, must ne-
cessarily-flow over this line, and create an important feature in its
revenue.

9ne of the first effects of the formation of this line will be, that
,t,ant communication will be established between Min,'lead and the
11.,w :Jig places:—Swansea, Tenby, Milford, Neath, Haverfordwest,
;',ntbroke, and Carmarthen, and with the whole of the South of
" .

Ireland ; and this railway, with a suitabie station and wharfs, will
also afford to Watchet alt the advantages of which it is capable as a
port.
Depots for goods will be erected at the station at Conthwitch

Reach, ►•here at present all the larger vessels tr.oling to Itedgwater
stop ; and it may be mentioned that 130,000 tons of coasting trade
come into this port annually, exclusively of 10,000 tons of foreign
trade.

From the estimates prepared, it is expected that only a portion of
the proposed capital will be required to carry tut the objects of this
Company.

Pc;wer will be reserved to allow the sharelaolders 4/. per cent. on
the paid-up capital, and also to construct branches from Minehead or
Watehet to Wivellscombe, Perlock, &c., and the extensive iron mines
cf Sir T. Buckler Lethbridge, Bart., which, with the slate quarries of
SirJohnTrevylyan, are in active workingwithin seven miles of Mine-
head. From this source, as also from the copper mines of Andrew
Crosse, Esq., a large revenue must arise.

The landowners- have been communicated with, and are most
anxious for the successful carrying out of the objects of the Com-
pany ; nor is there reason to expect that a.iy Parliamentary opposi-
tion will be offered.
The line will be twenty-five miles in length, and no engineering
difficulties present themselves.
Until an Act of Parliament shall be obtained, the affairs of this
Company shall be under the control of the Managing Directors, to
whom power is given to allot the Shares, and to apply the funds of
the Company in payment of all the expenses Incurred In its formation,
anti in the preparation of the plans and sections to be submitted to
Parliament.
Power will be applied for in the Act, and in the meantime is hereby
giv;on to the Managing Directors as above, to raise any additional capital,
to abandon any part of the line, to make branch lines, docks, piers,
whartb, or jetties, or enter into any arrangement with any other
Company or Companies, and also to nominate the first Directors of
the Company.
Applications for Shares, plans, prospectuses, and detailed informa-
tion, may be made at the (Mixes of the Company, No. 3, Alderman's-
walk, City, London; at the Offices of the Company's Solicitors,
Mess s. a Beckett, Son, anti Synmson, 7, Golden-square, London ;
Mr. Vaughan Prance, Nether Stowey and Bridgwater. And of the
Local Agents—Mr. William Woodland, solicitor, Taunton ; Mr. N.
Pearce, solicitor, Wiviliscombe ; Mr. James Parsons, solicitor, Lang-
port ; Messrs. Stone and S) mends, solicitors, Dorchester; Mr.
Thomas Phippard, solicitor, Wareham ; Mr. M. K. Welch, solicitor,
Poole; Mr. Henry Poole, solicitor, Bristol. And of the following
Stock and Share Brokers—Messrs. 't'ucker, Barnett, and Ellis, 11,
Birchin-lane ; and Messrs. !Innings and Lang, London; Messrs.
Brotinirs, and Co., Cheltenham ; Mr. John Marconi, Bristol ;
Mr. Thomas Evans, Bath ; Mr. Charles O'Neil, Manchester ; Messrs
11. Davies and Co., Liverpool ; Messrs. Chantrell and Boys, Leeds;
Messrs. Wilkinson and Earle, Hull; Messrs. Labertouche and Staf-
ford, Dublin; Mr. Lilly, Braigwater ; and Mr. B. Ball, Taunton.

FORM OF APPLICATION FOR SHIRES.

To the Managing Directors of the Bridgwater and Minehead June•

tion Railway Company.

Gentlemen,—l request you will allot .me Shares of 201.
each in th., above uhtlertzking ; and I hereby undertake to accept
the Same, or any less number you may allot me, on the terms
of the prospectus, and to pay the deposit of 21. 2s. per Share,
and all future calls thereon, and to sign t:.e Parliamentary contract
and suhseribers' agreement, and other deeds, when required so to d .
Dated the of 180.
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