The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-07 00:00:00

PIOSPECTLII,

This line of railway, comin;;;ChliiiLeiceeter, will pass through
the important districts of Market liarborough, Bothwell, Kettering,
Wellingborough, Ingham Ferrers, and Bedford, to Ritchin, at
which point it will form a junction with the London and York, or
Northern and Eastern Counties line, and thus afford the shortest
route to London.

Whatever may be the ultimate decision of Parliament, in respect
to the present rival projects for securing to the public a more direct
route to York, no one affects to believe that the London and Bir-
mingham line to the west, or the Northern and Eastern to the cast,
as at present formed, will long continue to afford means of transit
adequate to the urgent public demand for accommodation by the
shortest and most direct practicable railroad from London to York.
It is now, therefore, beyond a question that a brief space only will
elapse before a Northern trunk line from Loudon will receive
the sanction of the Legislature. Assuming even, therefore, that
the Loudon and York line is not successilll, it is still quite
clear that the " Great North Road " will, in a very short
time, become the line of the " Great North Railway." Such line
will pass through or near to Hitchin, and the Company forming it
will thereby provide an exit from the metropolis to that town, being
as nearly as possible in the direct road to Manchester. The continu-
ation of this line towards the latter place will be undertaken by the
Leicester and Bedford Railway Company, as far u Leicester,
through the counties of Bedford, Northampton, and Leicester. At
Leicester, the Midland line, to Derby and Ambergate, and thence,
tke proposed Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland Junction,
to Manchester, complete the chain of communication with the great
capital of the manufacturing world by a means of transit more direct
(its length being considered) than any other railway in the kingdom,
and shorter by not less than twenty-four miles than the present c ir-
cuitous route by the London and Birmingham, Grand Junction, and
Manchester and Birmingham Railways.

Te Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds. Wakefield, and
Rotherham, and the whole district traversed by the Midland Railway,
the advantages of a shortened route and economy of time provided
by this line will be still more obvious. Besides avoiding the delay
always occurring at the Rugby Station, and the constant stoppages on
the Birmingham line, at the numerous stations, as well as the
Kileby and Weedon tunnels, the line itself will be se much shorter
than the present means of communication, that, in conjunction with
the above favourable circumstances, _three hours will amply suffice
for the loumey from Leicester to London, four from Derby and Not-
wtinilglhba.ma,chainedveda proportionate
to ate therauedouthctieornpliance secorTnesd by theumptin Midland
fiditaninade
This

To the Manchester trade this line offers very great advantages, for
it is well known that a vast amount of goods is conveyed from Man-
cheater to Hull, and there shipped for London, in order to avoid the
heavy charges for carriage by rail all the way. The shortening of
althleow odistr
acrede buyetthioins
parnodbatbhley
belowproposedeven
with the benefit of a great saving is time.
The whole of the line between Bedford and Leicester has been al-
ready surveyed, and the engineers' report shows that no difficulties
occur to prevent its construction at an average cost, and by a most
direct route. The present plan of the projectors, so far as it is ma-
tured, in reference to the junction with the Midland, is, to run into
the line close to the town of Leicester ; here another great source of
profit will develop itself, by effecting a junction with the Leicester and
Swannington Railway, and distributing through the districts before-
mentioned the valuable produce of the Leicestershire calories. On
this point it may be observed, that the great desideratum of convey-
ing the coal from the Midland district to the Southern counties and
the metropolis, is almost entirely frustrated by the absolute ineffi-
ciency of the present route for the traffic of this article along the
crowded line of the London and Birmingham.
It will be seen that the projected line combines In a remarkable de-
gree all the elements of success and profit. The demand for a railway
through the whole district it traverses is universal and urgent. The
cost of its construction will be moderate ; its local traffic will be very
large, and the through traffic of the groat highway from London to
Manchester, of which it will form an integral portion, is second in
amount and importance to that of no line in the kingdom. On to
this railway must be poured the stream of traffic to and from the
metropolis, and Manchester and its locality, the Staffordshire Pot-
teries, the West Yorkshire, and the whole of the Midland districts.
It will convey the coal of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Notting-
hamshire into South Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire,
Herts, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, and the metropolis,
at a reduction of 50 per cent, on its present cost, and the valuable
produce of the richest grazing district in the kingdom to the metro-
politan markets ; in addition to which, the finest barley in England
being grown in the county of Bedford, would be converted by the
growers into malt, if facilities were offered for supplying the London
markets. This line will supply the absolute want of a country, which
cannot be met by any half measures or projects, for lateral or other
branch communications with existing lines, and will provile a com-
prehensive scheme for uniting the midland district more directly
with the metropolis.

The subscribers will not be liable to any farther call until the Act
is obtained, and power will be applied for to allow interest at 4 per
cent. upon the amount paid up until the opening of the line.
The general course of the line, as laid down from the survey
already made, is indicated on the 'annexed map. Unimportant de-
viations from the course at present selected may be found necessary
to avoid interference with ornamental property, or more conveniently
to serve the traffic of the towns on the line, when the more detailed
survey now being prosecuted by Mr. Gibbs shall be completed.
The annexed plan will, however, suffice to show that, besides pro-
viding a district of country, now entirely wanting the great deside-
ratum of railway conveyance, the Leicester and Bedford Railway
will lie in the direct line from London to Manchester, and will, of
necessity, from its position, command the traffic of that important
locality.

Applications for Shares, in the form annexed, may be made to the
several solicitors ; to Messrs. Peppercorns and Co., sharebrokers, 2,
Old Broad-street, London; to J. W. Scott, Esq., 3, Bartholomew-
lane, London ; or to the Secretary, at the Company's offices.

FORM OF APPLICATION FOR SHARES.

To the Provisional Conunittee of the Leicester and Bedford Railway

Company.

Gentlemen,—l request you to allot to me Shares of 20/.'each,
In the proposed Lelcester and Bedford Railway, and I hereby wider-
take to accept the same, or such smaller number as may be allotted
to me, and to pay the deposit and sign the Parliamentary contract
and subscribers' agreement when.required.
Dated this day of 1845.
Name in full ..........
Residence and place of businesil ............
Profession or trade • ....• ••• • • • .
Name and address of referee ..... .........

LEICESTER AND BEDFORD RAILWAY.
In reply to the very numerous applications, the Provisional
Committee announce that Prospectuses, with a detailed Map of the
Line and its connexions, are now ready for delivery at the offices of
the respective Solicitors, at Messrs. Peppercorne and Co., No. 2,
Old Broad-street ; J. W. Scott, Esq., 3, Bartholemew-latte ; at
Messrs. Payne and Freer's, Leicester ; and at the offices of the
Company, No. 11, Old Jewry Chambers.—June 4, 1845.

LEICESTER AND BEDFORD RAILWAY.
No thrther applications for Shares will be received after
SATURDAY, the 14th instant, except from parties locally interested,
to whom the period is extended to WEDNESDAY, the 18th blatant.
11, Old Jewry Chambers, June 4, 1845,