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

COUNTRY RANKERS.

Stuckey's Banking Company, at their various branches
The West of England and South Wales' District Bank, at their
various branches
Messrs. Williams add Co., Bridport, Dorchester, and at their variou
branch es
Messrs. S. and W. E. Gundry, Bridport, and at their various
branches
Messrs. H. R. and I. Badcock, jun., Taunton.
STANDING COUNSEL—A. W. Kinglake, Esq., 24, Old-square,
Lincoln's Inn.
SECRETARY—Mr. Charles P. Meryon.
SOLICITORS IN LONDON—Messrs. Keddell, Baker, and Grant, 34,
Lime-street.
PARLIAMENTARY AGENTS--MeSSI'S. Sudlow and Kingdon,
Palace-yard.

SOLICITORS IN THE
Mr. Edwin Nicholetts, Bridport COUNTRY,
Mr. Baruch Fox, Beamister
Messrs. Roweliffe and Son, Stogumber, near Watchet.

LOCAL Mr. Samuel Walter, Chard SOLICITORS.
Mr. Woodland, Taunton
Mr. W. Bridge, Dorchester
Mr. F. Napier Bower, Wiveliscombe
Mr. J. F. Knight, Axminster.
The object of this Company is to establish a direct line of rail-
way for passengers, goods, and commercial, mining, and agricul.
tural produce between the harbour of Watchet on the Bristol
Channel, and the harbour of Bridport on the English Channel, and
provide means of inland transit for a large proportion of the pro-
duce at present necessarily sent by the dangerous and uncertain
passage round the Land's End, and at the same time afford to the
intermediate rich and populous districts ready and convenient rail-
way communication.

The direct line will be 48 miles in length, and will proceed from
Watchet to Taunton, and thence by Hatch Beauchamp, and by
Ilminster to Chard, and by Crewkeroe and Beaminster to Bridport
harbour. A branch will proceed out of the line, about midway
between Watchet and Taunton, directly to Wiveliscombe. All
these towns and their neighbourhoods are populous and opulent,
and many of them very much so, and the localities are remarkable
for their richness, fertility, beauty, and numerous resident gentry.
At Wiveliscombe this line will avail itself of the North Devon
Railway to Taunton, and also westward; at Taunton it will
enter the station of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, and thence
proceed to Mangerton, four miles short of Bridport, where it will
unite with the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth, one of the
Great Western lines of Railway, and thence proceed on that line
to Bridport Harbour. . _

It will also cross the proposed line from Yeovil to Exeter
about two miles wester' Crewkerne.

The junction of the two Channels was long since deemed an im-
portant object. To effect it, surveys were successively made for a
ship canal by the late Mr. Rennie, Mr. Telford, and other scientific
men, who concurred in the importance of such a work in a na.
tional point of view ; the design was matured, and in 1824 an Act
of Parliament was passed; and it stands recorded as the opinions of
Mr. Telford and Captain Nichols, that the canal would afford a
remuneration to the subscribers of 16 per cent. on a capital of
1,712,8441.

The sum required for this work, being so much less than that
for the Ship canal ; the increased demand of a greatly increased
population, and the present vast commercial energies of the
country, make It manifest that goods may be conveyed by this
railway at far less than half the charge upon which Mr. Telford
and Captain Nichols formed their opinion.
The intended line from Minehead to Bridgewater, will meet
and cross this line near Watchet.