The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-17 00:00:00

Mr. JEREMY—Can every passenger see these by-laws on
proceeding to the carriage? Witness—Yes, your Worship;
they are painted with large letters on spacious boards and
fixed on the platforms.
Mr. Chilton contended that he had been taken into custody
illegally, and that the copy of the by-laws could not be re-
ceived in evidence.
Mr. JEREMY said that he had examined the by-laws pro-
duced; they were a legal document and bore the authenti-
cated seal of the company ; it had also been proved that they
were affixed at every station. The defendant was bound
either to produce his ticket or pay the fare. He had lost
his ticket, and how was the officer to know whether he
came from Croydon or Sydenham? He had much better
have paid the Is. 3d. than taken up the time of the Court.
Mr. Chilton (rather vehemently) said, that he was
dragged to the station-house like a felon, and would have
been locked tip had not a friend residing near the Court
come and bailed him out. They had no right to lock him
up, as they knew his name, and the station that he held in
society. If what they had done was justifiable, any poor
man who was known to the guard of a train and to the pas-
sengers in the same carriage as having paid his fire, might
be locked up from his family many miles from home; his
unfortunately- losing his ticket would, it appeared, justify
the company in demanding from him an enormous sum; a
man could not be arrested for 100,000 L, but yet a gentleman
could be dragged to the station-house for 3d.; he considered
that the railway authorities were not empowered to detain
him.
Mr. JEREMY said Oat lie certainly doubted whether the
railway authorities had the power of detaining him. This
was one of the difficulties of legislating by deputy, especially
when they had to deal with the by-laws of a public company.
The clause 183 which was affixed on the boards was not a
by-law, and that specified that if a person.travelled on a
railway without a ticket he should pav the anramt of the
fare from the Croydon terminus. `Whether the officers had
power to detain a party for the money was the question. The
party's name and residence might be unknown to them.
Mr. Chilton—l gave my name and residence, and am well
known at the railway station, being in the constant habit of
travelling to Sydenham by that railway.
Mr. JEREMY—But the officers might not know you?
Mr. Chilton—l am well known to some of the superior offi-
cers, and if the witness had allowed me to go into the office I
should soon have been recognised. I want to know what
offence I have committed?

Sutton, one of the guards upon the railway, proved that
on the previous day he was struck on the face very severely
by a stone, near the same spot; he picked up the stone (pro-
duced) from the tarpauling of the carriage on which he was
seated. _

RELATIVE CLO
RAILWAI.

'SING PRICES OF
Y SHARES
nit

PRINCIPAL CITIES A:
SCOTLAND,

'P TOWNS IN ENGLAiiD
!AND IRELAND.

The prisoner offered no defence to the charge, and the
Learned Chairman having pointed out the chief points for
the consideration of the jury, they found the prisoner Guilty.
The CHAIRMAN inquired if the Counsel for the prosecution
had anything to state on behalf of his clients?
Mr. -MARSH raid he was not instructed to press for a heavy
punishment.
The OFIAIRMAN said, only for the sake of example, and to
prevent the possibility of injury in any shape, the prisoner
was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment.

:t. I Oct.
i. I 15.

Aberdeen .. • • •

Airdrie and Coatbridge • •

Arbroath and Forfar • • • •

Ditto half Shares • • • •
riaagb,Colr., & Portrush
,andon and Bantry .• • • •

Belfast and Ballymena • •
Belfast and County Down
B r 'mild. Lan. & Ches.Jnc.
Birmingham and Glo'ster
Do. New (iss . at 7% dis.)
Ditto Half Shares ••_ • •
iiinninghm Oxfrd.Junc.

Leklmrn, and Preston..

Ilea burn, Darwn,Bc Bolin
W igax, Liverpl.

oston, Stamfrd and Birm
Irighton, Lewes, & Bast•

Irlitol and Exeter • • • • • •

Ditto New . .......
Bristol and Gloucester. • •
I iristol and S. Wales June.
British and Irish Union • •
( laledon. and Ayrsh. June
Caledon. & Dumbar. June
Caled,nian ... • • • • • • • • • •

J)itto Extension ••
Cambridge and Lincoln.
Chester and Birkenhead..
Ditto New Shares • • • •
Ditto Half Shares •• • •
Chester and Holyhead ••
Cheltenham and Oxford..

ichester and Brighton..
millet Valley . • • • • • • • •
[theme Junction • • • • • •

Clydesdale Junction .• • • •
Cork, Illackrek & Passage

Cork and Bandon .•• • • •
Cork and Killarney .•• •
Cork and Waterford •• •
Cock and Toughal •• • • •
Canterbury and Dover.•
Coventry and Leicester.
Cotnvrall .•• •• •• •• •• •

—..---. —.........__.
Mr. JEREMY—You have not paid the ls. 3d. when required
of you by the railway officer. Had you done so all this trouble
would have been avoided.
Mr. Chilton—lt is not for the sake of the money that I re-
fused to comply with the officer's request, but it was the prin-
ciple of the thing. I want to try the point whether the Act
of Parliament gives the railway company authority to detain
and lock persons up in my situation.
Mr. JEREMY inquired whether any of the superior officers
of the railway were in attendance? This was a question of
some importance to them.
Smith said that none of them were in attendance but him-
self and the ticket-collector.
Mr. Chilton—Some of the clerks ought to have attended,
especially when they knew my station in life.
Mr. JEREMY—There is no proof that the officer knew you.
I think it would have been better for you to have paid the
Is. 3d., and then you could have appealed to the laws.
Mr. Chilton—l cannot conceive the meaning of the Act
of Parliament. They might put new men at the station
every day, and take parties into custody who were well
known and had unfortunately lost their tickets. The Rail-
way Directors would have a tine power over the liberty of the
subject. There is one other thing. I doubt whether lam
liable to pay more than a shilling, which I tendered, as I can
prove that I got in at Sydenham. tinder any circumstances,
they had no right to give me into custody, but to have sum-
moned me in the regular way.
Mr. JEREMY said that it was clearly an offence against the
by-laws His friend, Mr. Traill, who had just' entered the
Court, Concurred in bis opinion, that: the officer on the rail-
way had a right to detain him for the full fare.
-Mr. Chilton—l have been locked up and in custody all
night. I want your decision on this point, as I shall cer-
tainly carry it further. The railways have power enough,
and I shall" do all I can to divest them of such arbitrary

I ierby and Crewe . • • • • • •
Direct Lon. and Manchstr
Diss, Receles, & Yarmotli
I )ireet'M an. (Remington's)
Direct .Northern • • • . .. • •
Direct Norwich • •
Dublin anti Belfast June.
ballast, & Colrre
Dublin and Drogheda • • • •
Dublin and Galway . • • • •

outtalk and Enniskillen
undee and Arbroath ...

Dundee and Perth •• • •
Durham and Sunderland
East Lancashire (No. 1)
Ditto (No. 2)
Eastern Counties . ......
Do. New ... • . • • • .....
1)o. Perp. 5 pr Ct., Na 1
)o. do. N 0.2
East I)ereham & Norwich
East Union .•. • •

Ditto Extension ......

~l;~ingh, Glas., and num.
Edinburgh and Glasgow..
Do. Quarter Shares
1)o. New Quarter Shares

Edi if b. Leith, and Granten
Do. Pref. 5 per Cent..
Edinburgh and Northern
Edinburgh and Peebles..
Edinburgh and Perth....
Ely and lluntingdon • •
Enniskillen and Sligo..
Exeter, Yeovil, & Drchstr
Fit wood, Prstn, & W. Itid.
Ilanikirk and Glasgow • •
Glasgow and Ayr. -. • -
Do. Quarter Mares.. • •
illasgow and Greenock ..
Ditto New.- .•• •• ••
Ditto Preference • •• --
Glasgw, Dnifries, and Car.
I lisgw, K ilmarnck, & Ard.
Glasgow and Belfast Un.
Goole and Doncaster • • • •
Grand Junction .. • •
Ditto Half Shares • •
Ditto Quarter Shares • .
Ditto New Quarters .•
Ditto Eighths .. ••
Grand Union
Great Eastern & Western
(It (frimsby & Dk Extens.
(It I tritusby and Sheffield
lit Stlim & Wstrn (hind)

power.
Mr. TRAILL—The Act of Parliament says,—" That if any
person fraudulently attempts to leave 'the railway station
without paying his fare, the magistrate before whom such
party may be brought shall have power to inflict a penalty
of 405., and the full amount of the fare."
Mr. Chilton—But I had no intention of fraud. lam well
known to the railway authmitities as a gentleman.
Mr. JERE3tY—The Act says "fraud," and does not relate
to persons; the third by-law gives the officers fall power to
demand the is. 3d. of you.

Mr. Chilton—The Railway Company certainly ought to
be guarded against fraudulent persons, and I will always
assist them. I, however, paid my fare at Sydenham, and

unfortunately lost the ticliet which I had received. I also
offered to pay the fare again, but the officer demanded ls. 3d.
I considered that they were not justified in demanding it,
therefore I refused to pay it. It was not for the sake of the
money that I allowed the case to come here, but in justice

Ditto Extension • • • • • •
Great Munster • . • • • • • • • .
Grit Northern of Scotland
Grt Northern of England
Do. New 401. Shares • •
Do. New 301. Shares ..
t treat Western -•• • . • •
Ditto Half Shares • • • •
Ditto Fifths
Ittilll-1, Farehm, & Ports.
Harwich . • ••
I indrsffil& Man. R. & Canl
11 t alderstield and Sheffield
Hull and Gainshorough •
Hull and Selby • • • • • . • • • .
Ditto Quarter Shares..
Ditto Half Shares • • • •
Inverness and Elgin •• • •
Isle of Jersey • •
Kendal and Windermere
Kingstown and Bray • • ..
Killarney Junctions .• • ••
Lancaster and Carlisle • •
Lancaster and Preston ..
Leeds and Bradford • . •
Ditto Extension .. • • ..
Leeds and Dewsbury....
Leeds and Thlrsk .•
Lecd &W. Riding June.
Leicester & Birmingham

to the public, who have been robbed enough by some of the
railways.

Mr. JEREMY (to Smith)—Have you ascertained whether
Mr. Chilton paid his fare at Sydenham on the previous
evening? Smith replied in the negative.
Mr. Henry Charles Chilton was called and sworn. He
said that he saw his brother (the defendant) pay a shilling
at the station at Sydenham at half-past eight o'clock on the
previous evening.
Mr. JEREMY said that he had no doubt that the defendant
bad paid his fare; that wasnot the question at issue. Tickets
were given at the station where the passengers paid, and, as
a check upon the company's servants, they were required to
be given up on the arrival of the passengers at their destina-
tion, lie had not given up the ticket; therefore he was
liable to pay the fare, and on that point he was bound to
adjudicate. He would not give any opinion as to the legality
of giving the defendant into custody, as that was a subject
for another tribunal.

Mr. Chilton—lf the Company will defend the witness
Smith, I will most certainly bring an action against him for
false imprisonment.
Mr. J EREMY had perused the Company's Act of Parlia-.
ment with his learned friend Mr. Traill, and was of opinion
that the case in point was not a penalty, but a forfeiture of
the fare, Is. 3d. Under the 182 d section they had only
power to summon the defendant. Therefore, it was clear
that they hal no right to give him into custody. He must,
however, as the ease had gone on, order the defendant to
pay the Is. 3d,
Mr. Chilton paid the fare, at the same time protesting
against the legality of the magistrate's decision.
Mr. JEREMY—It appears, on further perusal of the Act,
that all pcnalties are recoverable by distraint on the goods
and chattels of the defendant. Therefore, if it was my case
and I wished to try the question, I should let the company.
distrain.

I.cleoster and Bedfoid..

I..inerlek and 'Waterford
Lialrett,Ennis,B4 Kn Jnc.
l.inevin, York, and Leeds
Liv. Man. & Gt N. of Eng.
Liverpool and Manchester
Ditto Half Shares ••
Ditto Quarter Shares .•
Li verpl, Ormskrk, & Prstn
London and Birmingham I
Ditto Thirds • • • •
Ditto Quarters • • • • • ••
London and Blaekwall .•
Liutn. Oka & Chltnham.
Lond.tn and Brigatoa • • • •
Ditto Consolid. Eighths
London and Croydon • • • •
Ditto New. ••••• • • • •
Do. 0 uarant. 5 per Cnt.
London and Greenwich • •
Do. Pref. or Privilege • •
London and South Westrn
Do. New Cons. Eighths
Do. New, 501 shares••
Do. New, 40/. shares ••
London and York .• • • • • •
Ditto (Ilawtry) .• • • • • •
London and Windsor • • • •
Lomb', Salsbury, & Yeovl
London 'arry & Coleraine
Luca, t+deny & Emaiskilln
Lynn an.l Ely • • • • • • • • • •
Lynn and Dereham • • • • •
Manchester and Leeds • •
Ditto Half Shares • • • •
Ditto Quarter Shares • •
Ditto Sixteenths • • • • • •
Manchu r and Birkenhead
Manelivter &Birminghm
Ditto .quarter Shares • •
Ditto New Quarters . • •
1)0. Con. & Welsh June.
Matrhestr, Boltll, & Bury
Mneltsti, Iluxtn, & Matlk
Shef. and Mid. June.
Mancliestr & Southamptn
Midland .. • • • • • • • • • • • • "
Dlt to Fifths • • • • • .....
D: I,* o New •• • • • • • • • • •
Do. t!en. firm. & Derby
M Hind Ut Westrn (Irish)
1)0. Extension to Sligo
Newest: & Darlngtn June.
Da. New (srariling)• •
Newcastle and Iterwick• •
Newcastle and Carlisle—
Nwestle Durham, & Lan.
Newton & Abergavenny
Nes, ry di,d Enniskillen • •
New,•••k and Sheffield . • •
North t!' etish • • • • • • • • • •
Diti, New Shares • • • •
Northern and Eastern • •
Du. Scrip (iss. at 5 dis.)
DO. Quarter Shares ••
Nor th it. von .•••• • • " • •
North Kent • • •••• • • • •
North Staffordshire •• • •
North Ea5tern.........
North Union (A)• • • • • • • •
Ditto (B)• • • • • • • •
North Wales Mineral • • • •
Ditto New Shares • • • •
Nos th Western •••• • • • •
North Wales ••• • • .....
Norwich and Brandon • •
Ditto New • • • • • •
Not., Belvoir, & Qranthm
Nottingham and Boston• •
Nutt., Er wsh. Val. &Man.
Nottingham & Mansfield
Oxford and Birming. June
Oxford and Worcester • •
Oxford and Cambridge • •
Perth and Inverness • • • •
Portsmouth Direct • • • • • •
Preston and Wyre .• • •
Mt° Half Shares • • • •
Do. Pref. 5 per Ct. Guar
Do. Pref. 5 per Ct. & div.
Preston & Wyre Extens.
Richmond & W. End June
Rugby and Huntingdon...
Scottish Central • • .. • • • •
Scottish Midland....
ShefliAd and Manchester
Ditto Quarter Shares..
Ditto ditto (No. 2)..
Ditto ditto (No. 3)..
Sheffield and Lincoln....
Sheffield and Rotherham
Shrcwsbry& Grand Junc.
Shrewsb., Wor., & Crewe
Shrws ,Wolv.,
Shrwsbry & Trnt Val. Ua.
Shrws, I Icrefd,& N. Wales
Slamannan .• • •
South Devon . ..........
South Midland....
South Eastern and Dover
Do. New (iss.32/.) No. I
Do. (iss.33/.65.8d.) „ 2
Do. (iss. 30/.) „3
Staines and Richmond
Staffordshire & Shropshire
Stirling and Dunfennline
South Wales • .
Teen and Dove Valley ..
Trent Valley .... • • • • • • • •
Do. and HolyheadJune.
Vale of Neath • • ••• • • ..
West London, Old Shares
West End & Sothrn Coon.
Wexford and Carlow ....
Warwick an I Cheltenham
Waterford and Kilkenny
Watt fil,Wxfd,Wick & Dub
Wakefield and Bradford..
Walald,reniziret, & Gool
Wakefield and Ilarrogate
Warwick and London . • •
West Lancashire........
Worcester and Tring—
Whitehaven and Furness
Do. Ncw Half Shares..
Welsh Midland.. • • ..
West Cornwall....
West Yorkshire
Wilsontwn, M.& Coltness
Somrst, & Weymth
Wilts, Soinnt, & Southam
Yarmouth and Norwich • •
Ditto New .
York and Carlisle
York and North Midland
Ditto Hon Shares
I rift') :wail two' Blauch
Ditto 'elby
Ditto Extension
e YcGligow Unit.

Mr. Chilton (with great anxiety to the chief clerk)—Give
me back my money, then. I'll let them distrain sooner than
Pay the money. If they do so, I will then try thequestion
in a superior court.
Mr. Edwin handed the money back to the defendant, who
left the Court with his brother, declaring his intention of
fbllowing the matter up.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE of SHOP-
LIFTING BY A LADY.
Yesterday at the Brentwood Petty Sessions, Mrs..lllargaret
Sarah Harding, a widow lady of respectable connexions. was
brought up in custody to the Town Hall, before Messrs. Hay
and Bousfield, the presiding magistrates, on a charge of pur-
loining from the shop of Mr. Radford, silk-mercer and haber-
dasher, of High-street, Brentwood, a quantity of lace and
other articles of value, his property.
On the apprehension of the accused, who was fashionably
attired, the sum of nearlyiB,ooo/. in Bank of England notes
and India bonds, were found.
The prisoner, on being placed in the dock, was evidently
suffering from mental anguish. She was accommodated with
a chair during the whole of the proceedings.
Mr. Mayne, of the firm of Hardwick and Mayne, solicitors,
of Chelmsford, attended on the part of the accused lady.
Mr. James Radford, the prosecutor, deposed that about
half-past three o'clock on the afternoon of the preceding
day, a lady came to his shop and purchased a quantity of
articles, which were left on the shop counter with (:.rders to
be sect home. Witness then went up stairs to his ware-
room, leaving only one of his apprentices in the shop. In
about half an hcur the shop bell rang, and on witness going
down he found the prisoner in the shop. She inquired for
Mrs. Radford, who was engaged at the time, when the pri-
soner said she would wait to see her; she was accommo-
dated with a chair. Witness then commenced packing up
the goods on the counter, when he missed a quantity of
Brussels lace and other articles, of the value of N. Witness
questioned the apprentice respecting the property, but the
lad said he had not seen any of the articles, and that no one
had been in the shop since he (witness) had been up stairs
but the prisoner. Witness felt reluctant to question the
prisoner; whom. he knew to be a highly respectable lady,
and had been in the habit of making large purchases at his
shop ; her excited manner, however, raised his suspicion, and
he asked her respecting the missing property, when she
denied all knowledge of it, and evinced great indignation
on being questioned upon the subject. Witness observed
that no one had been in the shop since the articles had been
placed on the counter but his apprentice, and, however un-
pleasant, he must insist upon her being searched. The pri-
soner, after expressing her astonishment at such a line of
conduct, consented that her person should be searched. In
furtherance of this object, witness called Mrs. Radford, who
accompanied the prisoner up stairs to a private room. In a
few minutes Mrs. Radford rang the bell, and on witness going
stairs
he was informed that the prisoner would not allow
,
herself to be searched. Witness then thn agterneaedtil f.o sendfor
a constable, when the prisoner becameagitated.
)NrVoasduccaelalefdrobmy
hisNV
witness
ife, again
hl esf Wt
uh
ne
dr oot
an andte psrhi
soornt
el shy
ha fatz
bosomhtieerle:w hic
hand a
dot
bh
ee
er
np
tar atkse
n off
rhoent; poeffr stohne teho t
ehro lien otfh tehseh ao rp-.
frOanntthice dainscdovseariyd
sohfethwe
oroubldbery, the prisoner bectahmouesaanlmdsosift
required, to be allowed to go. g ivlel
tans; arty s
havingoney,
sentthe police, the prisoner was given into custody. Oount
the
officer's appearacce, the prisoner took out her purse full of
bank notes and sovereigns, and offered it to hills if he would
allow her to go home, and not be exposed.
Mrs. Caroline Radford, the wife of the prosecutor, was
next examined ; she proved discovering the stolen articles
secreted about the person of the prisoner, who during the
time entreated for mercy, and expressed a hope that she
might not be prosecuted.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Radford were subjected to a severe
cross-examination by Mr. Mayne, the prisoner's legal ad-
viser, but did not shake their testimony.
Mr. Mayne said he should not say anything on the part
of his client at that time, but he could assure the magistrates
that the whole of the transaction would be satisfactorily ex-
plained on a more proper occasion.
The prisoner was then fully committed to take her trial
at the ensuing Chelmsford Assizes, and all the witnesses
were bound over to prosecute.
The prisoner was then removed from the dock in a faint-
ing condition, her unhappy situation being commiserated by
all in Court, amongst whom were many of her relations and
friends.
Before the magistrates left the bench; Mr. llayne applied
to them to admit the prisoner to bail, which was refused.

:%1;%

4M
117

: i

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 17, 1815.

line), % p.—Ditto (Head's), 17s. Gd. p.—North Devons,
11A p.—Taw Vale Extension, % p.—Devon and Central
Cornwall, 3/4 p.—Exeter and Crediton, G—Eastern Counties,
257. p.—Ditto, New, 934 p.—Bristol, New, 14.

SHEFFIELD, Oar. 16.
STocK EXCITANCE.—The sales are—Boston, Newark. and
Sheffield, 6j4—Midland, Sheffield, and Rotherham, 36%
East and West of England, 214—Grimsby and Sheffield,
26%--- Ditto, Quarter Shares, 61A—Grimsby Railway and
Dock Extension. 129—Liverpool and Leeds Pirect, 6
Manchester, Midland, and Great Grimsby, 51. 18s. 61—
Wakefield and Harrogate, 51.115. 6d.—Wilts, Somerset, and
Southampton, 2%. .

HULL, Oar. 16.
STOCK EXCIIANGF. —The sales are—Durham and Sun-
derland, New, and Selby (10 per cent. guar.), 103
—London and Brighton, 70—Leeds and Bradford Extension,
55—North British, Carlisle, 414—Oxford, Worcester, and
Wolverhampton, 13V,—Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush,
214--Axholme, 795. p.—Boston, Newark, and Sheffield, 6%
—Cambridge and Lincoln, 61. Bs. 9d.—Chelmsford mid Bury,
21/8—Coventry, Nuneaton, &c-, 3%—Derby and Gainsbo-
rough, 3/. 14s. 6d.—Dudley, Madeley, and Iron Bridge,
475. 6d. p.—East Lincolnshire, s—East Coast, 3—Fleetwood,
Preston, and West Riding, 41,x—Goole, Doncaster, and Shef-
field, 7% —Grand Union, 344—Great North and South
Wales and Worcester, 13s. 6d. p.—Hull and Barnsley Junc-
tion, 43/ p.—Liverpol and Leeds, 614—London and Man-
chester (Rem.), 41/2—London and Norwich Direct, 1 IA—
Nottingham, Erewash, &c., 71/4—Nottingham and Boston,
• 434—Nottingham and Mansfield, 534—South and Midlands
Junction, 21. 17s.—Tenn and Dove Valley, 3—Wakefield and
Bradford, s%—Yorkshire and Glasgow Union, 4%.

YORK, OCT. 16.
STOCK EX.CHANGE.—The sales are—Eastern Union Ex-
tension ( Norwich), 54—Midland, New, 311 A —Newcastle
and Darlington Junction, New (Brandling), 571/2—North
British; New, 64—Ditto, Carlisles, 41A/I—York and North
Midland Extension, 2911—Axholme, 6%—Birmingham and
Oxford Junction, 6—Cambridge and Lincoln, 6%—Coven-
try, Nuneaton, Birmingham, and Leicester, 4—Derby and
Gainsborough, 34A—Grand Union, 3%—Leicester and Bed-
ford, 41, —London and Windsor, 11A—Newcastle and Ber-
wick, 19%—North Kent and Direct Dover, 4%—South Mid-
lands, B%—Welsh Midlands, 414—York and Carlisle, 5%.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
TONBRIDGE WELLS, BRIGHTON, AND HASTINGS
JUNCTION.

Yesterday a public meeting of the inhabitants of Hastings,
convened by the Mayor, was held in the Town-hall, for the
purpose of receiving a deputation from the Directors of the
above Company, and also from the Directors of the projected
Hastings Harbour Company.
Soon after two o'clock, 'George Scrivens, Esq., Mayor of
the borough, took the chair, at which time the Town-hall
was crowded to excess, and among those assembled were
some of the most influential citizens of Hastings.
The CHAIRMAN said that be had taken upon himself the
responsibility of calling the present meeting, and when he
saw the numbers, the weight, and the influence of those who
attended it, he felt quite at ease as to the consequences of the
step he had taken. if they were able by means of railways
to bring back that prosperity and wealth which they enjoyed
during the war, without its evils, they would have much
cause to congratulate themselves. He begged to state that
in calling this meeting he had done it from a feeling of jus-
tice to any company who would come among them, and
give them their time and their trouble, in order to make for
them a railway and a harbour. Though he was a member of
the Provisional Committee of this Company, yet it was not
on that account he had called the present meeting, but be-
cause he thought that they were bound in justice to hear
all parties, and to have a fair discussion as to the merits of
the project.
S. A. FRY, Esq., barrister-atlaw, one of the members of
the deputation, then addressed the meeting. He appeared
before them as representing an influential company, and he
would shortly explain their intentions with respect to the
railway which they had been called together to consider.
The question now before them was, whether there should be
a line direct from Hastings to onbridg,e Wells. He was
happy to find they were all agreed that there should be a
railway; and he took it the only snbjcct of contention was,
who was to have the making of the railway, and how the
railway'was to go. Now, on behalf of the company for which
hewas addressing them, he begged to remind them that they
were first registered, and that their directors consif ted of
gentlemen who occupied a most respectable commercial posi-
tion in the city of London, and of others possessed of great
local influence in this town. It was proposed to start from Ton-
bridge Wells ; but they did not mean to use the station of the
South-Eastern Company, because that would involve them in
the cutting of a tremendous tunnel, which by adopting another
terminus they might avoid. They meant to follow the
course of the valleys, and come by Wodehouse aud Watling-
ton to Hastings. There would be two tunnels in their course.
They did not mean to bring their line as the crow flew, for
that would be absurd ; but they would avail themselves of
the natural course of the valleys, and they would take up
those railways which were scattered through the district as
feeders to the main trunk line. At the same time it would
not be concealed that they were not the only company in the
field. He would put it to them, whether their interests
would be better secured by an independent company, or by
one whoQe lines led in an entirely different direction, and
who would make Hastings a mere branch for their trunk line.
—(Hear, hear.) If they were satisfied with the gentlemen
on the committee of this company—men who held a high
commercial standing in London, and who were of great local
influence in this town, then lie would put it to them whether
they would not prefer an independent company to one which
had an interest altogether different. Ile did not know what
the South-Eastern Company intended to do with regard to
the pier and harbour, but he thought they had enough of
such matters on their hands already. He must say that the
South-Eastern Company had taken no notice whatever of
Hastings, until after the announcement of this company in the
newspapers, and then it occurred to them to take
the subject into their consideration, and they agreed
that it would be expedient to make a railway.
He emphatically called upon them, as men of sense, if they
wanted a line between Tonbridge Wells and Hastings, to
take it into their own hands, and not to he made the victims
of a mere vote of expediency, and turned into a branch line;
or perhaps by another vote the Directors might afterwards
discover that it was not expedient to make the line at all.
R. RANKING, Esq., moved the first resolution, to the effect
that it was the opinion of this meeting that a direct and in-
dependent line from Tonbridge Wells to Hastings would be
ofgreat importance to the town of Hastings and St. Leonard's,
and that the Tonbridge Wells, Hastings, and Brighton
Junction Railway Company was deserving of their support.
Mr. COOPER, in seconding the motion said, there was but
one opinion in the town that a railway to Hastings was
necessary, and an additional subject on which there was no
difference of opinion was, that they should have a harbour.
On the question being put,
Mr.. SHORTER, town-clerk of the borough, said the meet-
ing had only been convened yesterday, at twenty-four hours'
notice, to receive a deputation from this company. This no-
tice was very short; but still that was no reason why the
public should not receive information. He gave the deputa-
tion credit for the way in which their information had been
communicated; but it should be remembered that other com-
panies were also in the field. He admitted that he was there
to speak for the South-Eastern Company, and after hearing
the gentleman who preceded him affirm that that Company
had no moral claim to come to Hastings, lie would ask
whether they had not an equal, if not a paramount, claim
to the present company? They were already making a line
from Ashford to Hastings, and ,they had a station here;
why then should they not be allowed to go from Hastings to
Tonbridge Wells? He was authorised to state that they did
intend to make the line; that the survey was in the course
of being made; that money was in their hands to do it; and
if they obtained the consent of the landlords along the line,
it would be made without the intervention of an Act of Par-
liament ; therefore, he would contend that they had an equal,
if not a superior, claim to this company to make the line.
He then moved, as an amendment, that the thanks of the
meeting be given to the gentlemen of the deputation for their
explanations, and that this meeting declines to pledge itself
at present to any particular line of railroad.
Mr. ALMOORE seconded the amendment.
Mr. FRY trusted they would excuse his making a few ob-
servations before that amendment was put to the vote. It
was of no use to conceal the fact, that the effect of this amend-
ment would be, and was, probably, intended, to substitute one
company for another. It was all very well to compliment the
deputation, and to say that Hastings should not pledge itself,
but the practical effect of this amendment would be to
pledge the meeting for the one company against the other.
Mr. Hennes would advise the meeting to support this
line at once. He supported it because it proposed to give
them that which they all wanted—a railway and a harbour;
and all their interests would be looked after. He was satis-
fied of its merits; but lie left the matter to them, they were
the jurymen to decide upon it.
F. SMITH, Esq., banker, wished to explain in a very few
words the position he had taken up with respect to this rail-
way. They had wanted a railroad for many years, and hopes
had been held out to them of obtaining one, but as yet they
had got none; and he believed they never would have one, if
the matter was to depend upon the South-Eastern Company.
He had taken up his present position because he saw there
was an intention to carry the scheme out.—(Applause.) He
never had been connected with railways, and he would have
had nothing to do with this, unless lie saw that there was a
disposition to do good to the borough of llastings. On that
account he did hope that the orginal resolution would be
carried unanimously.—(Applause.)
Mr. H. TWAITES said that llastings was now in the po-
sition of a blooming virgin.—(Laughter.) All parties, from
the north to the south, from the frigid to the torrid zone,
were ready to pay their devoirs to her, and to bring her a
railroad.
Mr. WILLIAMS wished to know where the Hastings ter-
minus was intended to be.
Mr. LLOYD stated that it would be situated near the
Priory-marsh.
The vote was then taken, when eight or ten voted for
Mr. Shorter's amendment, and the great body of the meet-
ing for the original motion. This result was hailed with
loud cheering.
Mr. LLOYD then rose to explain the project regarding the
pier and harbour, whieh be said had been provisionally re-
gistered for the last three weeks, and he had come down to
ascertain what was really the feeling of the inhabitants of
Hastings on the subject.—(A voice—" There's no doubt about
it.") He did not think there would be any difference of
opinion; but still he wanted some formal and authoritative
declaration from the inhabitants themselves, with which lie
might return to London; and then he would come down
again with Mr. Page, the engineer, and immediately set to
work on the subject. The first thing that it was natural for
them to ask was, where was it proposed to place the har-
bour? Now, he would say to them that the impression en-
tertained by the gentlemen in London was, that the fish-
market would be a proper place; but on this subject he
would pot pledge himself. He had only farther to say to
them, that if they would allow him to go to London to-
morrow morning with an authoritative declaration of their
opinion in favour of the project, lie would pledge his word of
honour that lie would return with the engineer on that day
week.—(Great applause.)
Mr. BREEDS, after a few observations, strongly urging
the importance of the scheme to Hastings, moved that a
harbour and pier to Hastings would be of great benefit to all
IA classes in the town, by securing ship and steam communica-
tion with Paris, through Dieppe, and that this meeting ap-
proved of the project of establishing a harbour and pier, and
would promote the object to the utmost of their power.
Mr. TREHURST seconded the motion.
Mr. WILLIAMS would like to know on what principle it was
to be brought to the town, before giving the scheme his sup-
port. Former projects had proposed to levy a rate on the
town; and others proposed a duty on coals and fishing-boats.
Mr. LLOYD explained that the Company would charge
certain dues, sufficient to afford a fair interest for their money,
on all vessels using the accommodation they afforded. Tlie
idea of levying a rate on the town was certainly absurd.
Mr. SIIADWELL was afraid that the making of a harbour
would bring a malaria to Hastings, as it had done in other
places, which would certainly drive fashionable visitors from
the town of St Leonard's, and thus the harbour would in-
jure, rather than benefit Hastings.
Mr. SerticKiesxis suggested tlri.t the. rennin and malaria

complained of by Mr. Shacivrell was only incident to harbours
___ —______________ ______ upon rivers, and nbt to those that -were constc acted upon the
EXETER,. Our. 16. sea; and Mr. Cs/toper enpre,ssed his opinion that the harbour,
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Exeter, Yeovil, and, far from diminishing the rents of houses in Hastings, would
Dorchester, 1 p.—Exeter, Topsham, and &month (Dayes increase them 50 per cent., &shad been the case in Boulogne.