The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-29 00:00:00

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM.

The following, gathered from official sources, shows the
comparative mileage of passenger traffic on the London and
Birmingham, for the half-3 ears from the 30th June, 1839,
to 30th June, 1845, with the half-yearly receipts from all
kinds of traffic. For the half-year ending
Passengers. Miles Travelled. Receipts.
June otlt, 1839
December 31st, 1839 341,420 22,284,830 243,910
June 30th, 1840
December 31st, 1840 394,688 25,931,163 495,040
June 30th, 1841
December 31st, 1841 413,272 27,156,212 429,023
June 30th, 1842
December 31st, 1842 407,840 26,563,216 420,958
June 30th, 1843
December 31st, 1843 419,963 26,983,482 432,357
June 30th, 1844
December 31st, 1844 480,637 31,122,185 450,478
June 30th, 1845
From the above statement it appears that since June, 1839,
up to the present period, the receipts of the London and
Birmingham have been nearly doubled.

On Tuesday last the firet sod was lifted on the Caledonian
Line, between Gretna and Ecelefechan, by Mr. John Bell,
farmer.

The promoters of the-omersetsbire Midland propose, it
is presumed, as a precedent for other projects, to lodge the
amount of their deposits forthwith in the hands of the Ac-
countant-General.

Last evening the Directors and officers of the amalgamated
Manchester lines dined together at the Albion Hotel, to cele-
brate the union of the two lines, and on the occasion of the
Directors having yesterday, out of the Company's deposits,
amounting to 460,000/., in% ested 200,000/. in the Three per
Cent. Consols.

WELSH MIDLAND.—On Friday a general assembly of the
Proprietors of the Brecon and Abergaverny Canal was held
at the Shire-hall, Brecon, for the purpose of taking into con-
sideration the terms offered by the Welsh Midland Railwa
Company for the purchase of the canal, when the bargain made
by the Committee of Direction was fully confirmed without a
dissentient voice, on the motion of John Powell, Esq., chie
partner in Clydach Ironworks, seconded by G. J. Lloyd, Esq.,
of Dinas, two of the largest freighters on the canal. After
the business had been concluded, the Canal Company enter-
tertained the deputation of Directors of the Welsh Midland at
dinner, at the Castle Hotel, where Joseph Baily, Esq., M.P.
for Worcester, and principal proprietor of Nantyglo and Beau-
fort Iron Works, presided; and in the course of the everting
expressed his strong approval of the plans of the Welsh Mid-
land Company, and announced his intention of supporting
the project with all the influence he possessed, both in the
House of Commons and out of it. Other gentlemen of in-
fluence in South Wales expressed the most decided opinions
in favour of this line and its branches.

BIRMINGHAM AND WORCESTER DinEcr.—The first meeting
of the Provisional Committee was held at the Waterloo-
rooms, Birmingham, on Thursday ; Mr. Richard Spooner,
M.P., in the chair. The arrangements of the promoters were
approved and confirmed, and a Managing Committee ap-
pointed, with full powers to carry into effect the undertaking.
A meeting of the Proprietors of the Worcester and Birming-
ham Canal will shortly be held, at which the terms of an
arrangement between the Railway and Canal Companies will
be submitted.

STAFFORDSHIRE AND NORTH MIDLAND JUNCTION.—On
Thursday a meeting was held at Ashbourne, the Hon. and
Rev. A. Duncombe in the chair. The names of several land-
owners residing in the vicinity of the projected line were
added to the Provisional Committee. The secretary stated
that he had received applications for upwards of 130,000
shares, and since computing that number, a letter had come
to hand intimating that an influential company had offered
to take a considerable portion of their capital, if the committee
thought proper to allot the same.
DIRECT BIRMINGHAM AND LEICESTER.—A meeting of the
Provisional Committee was held on Friday, at their offices
in Birmingham. Mr. G. F. Muntz presided. From the
report of Mr. W. H. Purdon, engineer to the company, it
appears that the whole of the surveys have been com-
pleted, and that the plans and sections are now being en-
graved. Although an opposition was at first offered by
some of the influential landowners of the district through
which the line passes, it appears that it has been entirely
withdrawn. It was announced that the whole of the de-
posits had been paid into the hands of the bankers, and no
doubt existed that the whole of the standing orders would
be complied with.
SHEFFIELD, BUXTON, AND LEEDS, AND GREAT GIIIMSBY,
POTTERIES, AND GRAND JUNCTION.—A meeting of the
Proprietors of these undertakings was held on Fri-
day, Mr. T. Carr in the chair, when it was resolved
that the Great Grimsby, Sheffield, the Potteries, and Grand
Junction Railway, having expressed a desire to consolidate
with the Sheffield, Buxton, Leek, Potteries, and Crewe
Company, the Provisional Directors of the latter appointed a
deputation to confer with the deputation from the former,
when, after the most mature deliberation, the Provisional
Directors of the Sheffield, Buxton, Leek, Potteries, and
Crewe, although anxious to avoid an unnecessary Parlia-
mentary contest, were convinced it would be injurious to
the interests of their subscribers, and without any public
advantage, to identify themselves with a rival line from
Sheffield to the Staffordshire Potteries, in opposition to those
which have been so long before the public for supplying
railway communication between Sheffield and Buxton, viz., li
the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, and Man.
chester, Sheffield, and Midland Junction Railways. They
therefore felt that their only course, consistent with a due
regard to the interests named, was to preserve the integrity
of their project from Buxton to Stoke-upon-Trent and Con-
gleton, uniting at those places with the North Staffordshire
line.
BIRMINGHAM—ShouId the various railways now projected
for the Midland Counties be carried into effect, Birmingham
will become the centre of three-and-twenty lines. Some of
those in the immediate vicinity are, however, in progress of
amalgamation, which will reduce the number of projects very
considerably; but, after all, it is now certain that this town is
about to realise the great advantages which its central post.
tion naturally commands.
DIRECT LONDON AND MANCHESTER.—On Saturday the
arrangements for the union and amalgamation of the London
and Manchester lines were signed by Mr. John Dillon, the
Chairman of the Direct London and Manchester, and Col.
Leicester Stanhope, the Chairman of the Direct Independent
line. The arrangement recites that the two Companies
shall be united into one when the Bill shall have passed.
That the Direct London and Manchester shall alone apply
to Parliament for the Act. That the two Companies shall
have an equal number of Directors. That the Chairman of
the Direct Company, Mr. Dillon, shall be the Chairman of
the twenty-four Directors; and that Mr. Andrew Caldecott
and the Iron. Colonel Leicester Stanhope shall be the De-
puty Chairman. That the object of the agreement, and the
panics to it, shall be the making a direct line from London
to :Nlancliester as economically as p,,ssible, to carry goods
and passengers at the cheapest remunerating tariff; the
greate:.t possible expedition consistently with safety ; and
that the interests of the trade between London and Man-
chester, and the promises made to the public by each Com-
pany, shall be the guiding principles of the Directors. That
Messrs. Ashurst and Son ; Messrs. Sudlow, Sons, and Toor ;
and Mr. John Owens, shall be the solicitors. That Mr.
Rastrick and Mr. Geo. Remington shall be the joint en-
gineers.
SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.—Mr. Brunel visited Carmarthen

on Monday lest, and after minutely inspecting the plane, de-
cided that in lieu of the numerous cuttings and tunnels
which must inevitably be constructed if the line be brought
direct from Kidwelly through the parishes of Llangtudefrne
and Llandefeilog, its course should be throught the Ferry
Side; but it will still cross the Towy at the spot first in-
tended.
An inportant Parliamentary document was printed on
Saturilay :in respect to railways. Under the Joint-stock
Companies Act, which came into force in November last,
various returns are annually ordered to be presented to
the liotwe of Commons, which returns, now furnishe I for
the first time, are of a lengthened description, whence it
appears that, from the Ist of November to the 7th of June
last, 355 joint-stock companies were provisionally re-
gistered, of which no fewer than 252 were railway compa.-
Wes and in au appendix it is stated that between the 9th

and 30th June, as many as fifty-seven railways were pro-
visionally registered, on all of which registrations a sum
of Si. was paid. In the month of l‘lny last about 80 rail-
ways were registered, and 17 frdni the Ist to the 7th
of the following month. One railway company was com-
pletely registered, and four of the same class have no-
tified their intention to abandon their plans. It seams
that of companies that had existed, out of 965, only 105
were railways; and, as already ment:oned, of provisionally
registered companies, out of 355 there were 352 railways.
The fees received from November to June amounted to 2,1641.
in England. In two months after the operation of the Act
the registration fees were 590/. ; in the next three month.,
310/. ; and in the following two months and seven days, as
much as 785/. ; making a total for registration of 1,6901.