The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-20 00:00:00

No railway, either made, or being made, or projected, will serve
the purposes which this important and favoured line will serve.
The country it will pass through possesses a population exceed-
ing 150,000. It leads to marine watering places of much resort—
Weymouth, Lyme, and Seaton on the English Channel shore, and
Linton, Minehead, and Blue Anchor on the shore of the Bristol
Channel. Taunton, which may now be considered the county
town of Somersetshire, has always been the market and trading
town of the country north.west of it, including Watchet and its
surrounding district ; the route to which, from London and the
north, is through Taunton.
A well remunerating passenger traffic may hence be expected.

The country also contains between 80 and 100 mills and fac.
tories, many of which are worked by steam in aid of water-rower,
and many more of the proprietors will avail themselves of steam.
power when coals shall be procurable at a reduced rate by this
railway. The millers are most desirous of having the markets of
South Wales opened to them. Several influential coal proprietors
of South Wales are members of the Provisional Committee.

The country also possesses several extensive lime quarries, for
manure; the lime is burnt with culm brought from Wales ;
the conveyance both of the culm and lime is at present attended
with much expense to the agriculturist. The line will also be of
high importance to this agricultural district by opening to it the
markers of Taunton, Tiverton, South Molton, Barnstaple, in the
north of Devon, Exeter, and London. rho towns of Taunton,
Ilminster, Chard, Crewkernc, Beaminster, Broadwindsor, Brid.
port, Axminster, Charmouth, and Lyme Regis, will be connected
by the line, and derive from it supplies of coals, culm, timber, dry
good; and other articles of import. The line will afford to those
towns and their ropulon3 neighbourhoods, increased facilities of
communication with other lines of railroad.

The usual prevalence of westerly winds during the winter months
is so great as to render the passage round the Land's-end very un-
certain. The facilities offered by the proposed railway will obviate
such uncertainty, save many hundred miles of dangerous sea pas-
sage, and more than compensate for the charges attending re-ship-
ment at Biidport from Watchet, particularly in the article of
Welsh coals, now in great demand in and about London for steam.
engines, steam-boats, and other purposes.

The harbour of Bridport admits vessels at spring.tides of 350
tons burthen; it receives large supplies of coals, culm, flax, hemp,
Baltic and American timber, iron, slate, tallow, staves, and nu.
merous other articles ; which, in the aggregate, last year, amounted
to nearly 40,000 tons, a large portion of which consisted of flax
and hemp, for the numerous manufactories of yarns, sailcloth,
sacks, nets, lines, twines, and linen goods, which when wrought
would pass along the line to the two ports, for shipment, or to
other railways.
The haibour of Watchet, at spring-tides, admits vessels of 200
tons burthen, and carries on an extensive and important daily trade
with the ports of Tenby, Llanelly, Swansea, Neath, Cardiff, New-
port, and Merthyr Tydvil, in coals, culm, corn, flour, and other
provisions, cattle, sheep, salt, timber, slates, iron. and other articles
.c.ougliig to tne narnour
regularly and exclusively ; one trading with Liverpool. It has
also a considerable corn, malt, flour, and goods trade with Bristol,
and employs therein several vessels regularly
Both the harbours arc capable of being much improved, and
belong to proprietors able nod willing to improve them to meet the
increased wants of the community.
The port of Watchet, as it is, has the largest and most important
trade on the English side of the Bristol Channel. This Railway
will increase that trade fourfold, and therewith its own pi osperity.
The shore contiguous to Watchet exclusively abounds with lime
of the most celebrated description, both for water-works and ex-
terior building, being the same as the universally known and cele-
brated Aberthaw lime, which also is on the directly opposite coast;
and at and around Watchet are extensive corn and flour mills,
paper mills, and clothing mills.

The foregoing facts show that the line must have a very exten-
sive goods traffic.
It is not intended to put forward Watchct as a packet station
either for Ireland or South Wales; nor does this measure require
such aid. No portion of the coast of the Bristol Channel, east of
Ilfracombe, can have the slightest pretension to be, or be
made, a packet station. In the first place, it is obvious that
the railway in actual progress from the Government Dock-yard
at Pembroke (or Hobbe's Point, 100 miles further down the Bris-
tol Channel) will take all the packet trade from the south of Ireland :
Liverpool takes Dublin;whilst Ilfracombe ( 50miles west of Watchet),
and Swansea (directly opposite to Ilfracombe), maintain a regular
steam.packet passenger and goods traffic; and in the second place,
all the harbours on the English side east of Ilfracombe are dry, and
for a great length, at low water, the shores being very flat, and to
construct a harbour on them, to admit large class steamers and to
land passengers at all times of the tide, would, if not impracticable,
cost an enormous sum. To hold out expectations that either of
them might be such packet station, would for the above reasons be
delusive.

The extended North Devon line of railways will serve the porl
of Ilfracombe and its packets.

A survey has been made by the engineers, who have reported
that the line is easy of construction, and will not interfere with any
park.

It affords great satisfaction to the promoters to be enabled to
announce that the directors of the Bristol and Exeter Railway
Company have promised to give this measure their favourable con-
sideration, and the promoters entertain a sanguine expectation that
it will receive their support.

_ .
The neighbouring landowners and gentry are favourable to the
measure, and all the merchants and traders both at Watchet and
Bridport, as well as the principal cal proprietors in South Wales,
and all persons throughout the line, entertain a high opinion of its
merits, and earnestly desire it.

_ -
Many extensive landowners on the line, whose names do not
appear on the Provisional Committee, hare yet expressed them..
selves as friends to the measure.

The Act will be applied for next session, and the liabilities will
be limited to the amount of subscriptions, and interest at four
per cent. will be paid on all calls from the time of payment until
the opening of the line.
An early allotment of the shares will be made, and the usual
Subscribers' Agreement and Parliamentary Contract must be exe-
cuted by the Shareholders when called upon.
Applications for shares to be made, in the form annexed, to
Messrs. Keddell, Baker, and Grant, 34, Lime-street; to either of
the solicitors in the country; Messrs. George Burnand and Co.,
Cornhill ; John Mocatta, Esq., Copthall-chambers ; H. J. Barker,
Esq., Tukenhouse-yard ; John Brewer, Esq., New Market-hill, Man-
chester ; Messrs. Francis and James Mill, Liverpool; Messrs.
Wreford, Nicholls, and Co., Bristol; or John Bannehr, Esq.,
Exeter.
Taunton, Sept. 29, 1845.