The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-14 00:00:00

SIR ROBERT PEEL AND THE
TRENT VALLEY RAILWAY.
TAMWORTIL THURSDAY NIGHT.—The ceremony of " turn-
ing the first sod" of this important railway—which, as our
readers are doubtlessaware, is intended to shorten the present
line of communication between the metropolis and the manu-
facturing districts of the north by a direct line from Rugby
to Stafford—took place yesterday on a plot of ground in the
vicinity of Tamworth.
Sir Robert Peel having consented to perform this, the
first mechanical operation in connexion with the undertak-
ing, a great deal of interest has been excited in the locality
during the past fortnight, and a very considerable influx of
visitors arrived in the town during yesterday and this morn-
ing, for the purpose of being present on the interesting oc-
casion.
The Right Hon. Baronet has also taken the opportunity to
assemble at Drayton Manor a circle of gentleman, several of
whose names are well known in connexion with the prin-
cipal railways in the kingdom. These include the Hon.
Colonel Anson, M.P., the Hon. Captain Carnegie, M.P., Mr.
George Hudson, M.P., Mr. J. L. Ricardo, M.P., Captain
A'Court. M.P., Mr. Edward Tootal, Deputy-Chairman of the
Trent Valley Railway, the Mayor of Manchester (Mr. W. B.
Watkins), Mr. R. Creed, Secretary of the London and Bir-
mingham Railway, &c., &c.
This morning was ushered in by a merry peal from the
bells of the church steeple, and as the day advanced, the in-
habitants of the surrounding districts poured into the town
in large numbers. Three o'clock in the afternoon had been
the hour appointed for the ceramony to take place, but long
before that hour the open space in front of the Town-hall,
where it had been arrangsd the procession should form, was
densely crowded with spectators.
At one o'clock the Mayor and Corporation sat down to a
very handsome dejeuner, provided by the Directors, in the
ToWn-hall, at which Mr. Edward Tootal (in the absence of
Mr. Edmund Peel) presided. Ample justice having been
done to the creature comforts,
• "The health of her Majesty" was drunk with every mark
of loyalty and respect. After which
The CHAIRMAN gave "The health of the Mayor and Cor-
poration of Tamworth," eulogising that body for the uniform
assistance and support they had given to thepromoters of the
Trent Valley Railway.
The Mayor of TAMWORTH returned thanks, and proposed
"The health of Mr. Edward Tootal," which was responded
to with great enthusiasm. •
Mr. TOOTAL returned thanks, and next gave the healths
of the Vice-Presidents of the day, Mr. Booth, of Liverpool,
and Mr. Smith, of London.
The toasts haying been duly responded to, and appro-
priately acknowledged,
The 'CHAIRMAN next gave "The health of Sir Robert Peel,"
remarking that the Right Hon. Baronet had the destinies of
nations in his hands, and that coming from a commercial
district as he (the Chairman) did, he did not hesitate to say
that Sir Robert Peel possessed to an unlimited extent the
confidence of that class of her Majesty's subjects. The nation
were looking to the Right Hun. Baronet with the utmost
confidence, and he (the Chairman) trusted that the measures
which he would propound in due season would have f'or their
object the benefit of the great mass of the inhabitants of this
country.
The toast was drank with enthusiasm, and at, this period
the Chairman retired to join his co-Directors, who were pre-
paring to
.receive Sir Robert on his arrival from Drayton
Manor.
After some delay Sir Robert's open landau drew up at the
entrance to the hall. Here the Right Honourable Baronet
was received by the Directors of the railway and the members
of the Corporation.
Sir Robert was accompanied by Lady Peel and Miss Peel,
the Hon. Colonel Anson, and the Mayor of Manchester.
Captain A'Court, M.P., rode on the box of the same
carriage.
Five or six other carriages followed, containing the guests
at present enjoying the hospitality of the Right Honourable
Baronet.
The procession was now marshalled, and moved through
the principal streets of the town in the following order :
Officers to clear the way.
Labourers bearing implements.
The Mayor of Tamworth (Mr. F. Hunter),
Succeeded by the following members of the borough corpora-
tion :
Mr. Buckerfield, Mr. Nevill, Mr. Hall, Mr. Parsons, Mr.
Braman, Mr. Robinson' Mr. Browne, Mr. Hamel, Mr. F.
Hamel, Mr. Woodcock, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Netts, Mr. Gray,
and
Mr. Willington, Town Clerk.
Band Of Music.
Banners.
The Carriage of the Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, followed by
other Carriages.
The Directors of the Railway.
The Engineers and Contractors for the Work.
Operative Smiths, Carpenters, Excavators, &c.
The procession, after making the circuit of the hall, and
proceeding down the principal street, passed into the Lich-
field-road, and thence to a plot of ground, about half a mile
distant from the town, adjoining Staffordshire-moor, where
the line of railway had been marked out and inclosed for a
considerable distance.
As the procession moved along the Right Hon. Baronet
was loudly cheered by the spectators, and on reaching the
ground it was with the greatest difficulty that a sufficient
space could be cleared for him to perform the required opera-
tion. At length, an opening of about three yards square
having been secured,
Mr. E. PEEL then addressed the Right Hon. Baronet as
follows :—Sir Robert Peel, it devolves upon me, as chairman
of the Trent Valley Railway Company, to address you upon
this interesting occasion; and although I regret exceedingly,
and I do not hesitate to express my regret, that that duty
has not fallen into abler hands, and upon some person more
conversant than myself with railway matters, and more
capable of giving expression to the feelings of those Hon.
Gentlemen who are connected with me, yet I shall ever feel
proud that my name has been connected witk the proceedings
of this day; for I am confident that we are assembled here
on this occasion to witness the commencement of a great na-
tional undertaking, and one calculated to confer lasting bene-
fits on the inhabitants of those districts through which it will
pass.—(Cheers.) Sir, I am deputed to offer to you our sincere
and united thanks for the kind manner in which you have com-
plied with our wishes ; that you should commence the first
mechanical operation of this undertaking
.; and it will ever
be an important event in the annals of this railway that the
"first turf was turned" by the Prime Minister of this empire.
Cheers.) We know, Sir, that you supported the mea-
sure, but we are sensible that on no occasion have you unduly
exercised on our behalf that influence which you possess from
the position you hold in the councils of the country.—(Hear,
hear.) We know that you supported our measure, from the
connexion you have with the town of Tamworth. You
felt that you were accomplishing your duty when you did all
you could to assist us in passing our Bill.—(Hear, hear.) Sir,
we have been several years endeavouring to arrive at the
position we have now the pride and happiness to have at-
tained, and upon all occasions when we have been struggling
with a powerful opposition—an opposition now happily
united with us—we have always received your most steady
and strenuous suppot t.—(Cheers.) Sir, the object of this
railway is to connect the great manufacturing districts of
the country with the metropolis, and to facilitate the inter-
course between Ireland and London.—(Hear, hear.) You
were aware of the advantages which this line was calculated
to afford, and 1 may safely assert, that no part of your duty
is ever more agreeable to you than when you lend your aid
and assistance to promote a work of public advantage and
utility.—(Hear, hear.) I should be ashamed of my-
self if I did not participate in those feelings which
I know are entertained by those whom I have the
honour to address, for I am sure that this railway will con-
fer upon Tamworth the greatest possible advantages.—
(Hear, hear.) I believe there is little doubt that Tamworth
will be the great centre of England, and I have reason to be-
lieve that a central post-office will be placed in this town.—
(Cheers.) Such being the advantages which we can all duly
estimate, and considering my long family connexion with
this town—considering also that the borough has long been
represented by members of my family—l repeat, I shout
be ashamed if I did not participate in those feelings whit.
I know are entertained by every inhabitant.—(Hear, hear.)
I shall not detain you longer. It only remains for me to
place the implement in your hands—an implement which I
trust you will ever retain as a memento of an undertaking
which you have so conscientiously and consistently sup-
ported—(Cheers)—and I have every reason to hope that this
work, which has been so auspiciously commenced, will be
completed in a manner not only satisfactory to those more
immediately connected with the railway, but‘to the public in
general.—(Hear, hear.) I beg new to propose " Prosperity
to the Trent Valley Railway."
The sentiment with which Mr. Peel concluded his address
was responded to by the spectators with great enthusiasm,
and the spade—or, to speak more correctly, " navigator's
tool," above referred to—having been handed to the Right
Hon. Baronet, a momentary pause ensued, after which
Sir R. PEEL, resting on. the handle of the implement,
spoke as follows Edward Peel, Mr. Mayor of Tam-
worth, and gentlemen, I have great satisfaction, in my capa-
city as one of the Members for this borough, -in
being present upon this occasion. I have always attempted
to reconcile the performance of those public duties which
official station impose upon me with the duties which I owe
to my constituents—the inhabitants of this borough; and I
see no occasion whatever why that official station should
prevent me from tieing present at a ceremony interesting to
my constituents and to the inhabitants of this district.
—( Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, in that capacity, as a represen-
tative of this borough, I have given a cordial support to this
undertaking. I gave it that support from a sin-
cere belief that it was calculated to be beneficial to this
district in the interests of which I naturally take
a warm concern ; but I supported it also from a
conviction that the success of such an undertaking
would be conducive to the public welfare.—(Cheers.) I
thought the public welfare would be promoted by the estab-
lishment of a more direct and more immediate communica-
tion between the metropolis, on the one hand, and Dublin
and a great part of Ireland, on the other—between the
metropolis and the west of Scotland—between the metroplis
and that great commercial and manufacturing district of
which Liverpool and Manchester are the capitals.—(Hear.)
It is probable that, on the completion of this railway, Dublin
will be brought in point of time within 14 or 15 hours of
London—that a letter posted in London on the evening of
this day may be answered from Dublin on the morning of the
day but one afterwards; that is to say, that Dublin, in re-
spect of Post-office communication, will be in exactly the
same position that this town occupies at present.—(Cheers.)
I have every reason to believe that Manchester will be
brought within six or seven hours of London. I said on a
former occasion that Manchester might be brought within
eight hours of London, and the statement was received with
incredulity'; but I am sure I am not guilty of exaggeration,
when I state that Manchester and Liverpool will soon be
brought within six or seven hours of London.—[The ex-
press trains already regularly perform the distance be-
tween London and Liverpool in six hours. The -Premier,
however, doubtless referred to the general traffic.] It was,
therefore, from a conviction on my part that a great public
benefit would result from the establishment of this line of
railway that I was induced to give it a warm and unremit-
ting support.—(Cheers. 1 I gave it my support on account
of my connexions with this borough, in the belief that it was
impossible that a town could be placed on the immediate line
of communication between the metropolis and the most im-
portant portions of Great Britain—in point of wealth—in
point of population—and in point of commercial enterprise—
without deriving great advantage therefrom.—(Cheers.) I
know it has been said that the passage of a railway confers
no advantage upon a town—indeed, that it may be produc-
tive of considerable personal disadvantage. All must admit
that it may be productive of individual and partial disadVan-
tages—that some innkeepers may complain of a diminution
of traffic, and that some .retail dealers may complain of a dimu-
nition oft heirprofita. It is impossible to deny this—it is impos-
sibe not to regret it. But what is this but saying:that for
the great body of the community you have substituted a
cheaper and a better mode of communication, and given
them access to a wider market ?—(Loud cheers.) • So far as
the great body of the people goes, there is no question but
that to be placed on a direct line of communication
between the metropolis and Manchester and Liverpool and
Dublin and Glasgow can be other than an advantage.—(Hear,
hear.) There is another. reason why I rejoice at being pre-
sent here. lam about to commence an undertaking which
connects that locality, which is the seat of my property, and
the place of my residence—a place upon which I look with
those feelings of affection natural to us all—l am about to
connect this town with that glut nuunifacturipg district of