The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-21 00:00:00

BICESTER LINES.

On Saturday afternoon a large and influential meeting of
the inhabitants of Bicester, thirteen miles from Oxford. was
held at the King's Arms Inn, to determine which of the
various projected railways would best serve the interests of
the town and neighbourhood. There are in all five schemes
to provide this town with the means of railway commu-
nication.

Captain STYLES, RN, was appointed chairman.
After some conversation it was resolved to begin with the
Grand Junction, Great Western, and South-Western Rail-
ways Junction.

Mr. POW ELL, one of the representatives of that line, said
that at a meeting of the inhabitants previously held, a fa-
vourable disposition had been manifested towards that pro-
ject. He pledged himself to give the town a station at
King's-end, or even nearer the centre if possible, and assured
the meeting the intended line would be of immense advan-
tage to the agriculturists and the neighbourhood. The line
would shorten the distance to London by four or five miles,
and would be un the broad gauge.
Mr. SAMUEL DOUGLAS, of the same Company, said the
railway in question possessed all the advantages of other
projects, opening communication with the nortlo, to Wales,
and to London, besides Windsor, Asdbt, Farningham, Brigh•
ton, Hastings, Dover, kc.
Mr. HILL, from the Oxford, Witney, Cheltenham, and
Gloucester line, appeared to support that railway. He
thought that the Grand Junction Company would have been
more willing than it appeared to have been to come forward
and state its views, considering that that line was discussed
at a previous meeting, to which others, from the shortness of
the notice, bad not an opportunity of presenting themselves,
and that that meeting was adjourned on their account. He
therefore felt some coyness and bashfulness in " opening
the hall." He must say he did not think that Company
had acted fairly in swerving from the original prospectus.—
(Hear, hear.) They stated that they commenced at the
Farringdon station and terminated at Heyford, but at
the meeting the deputation stated they would join at
Diddington. The gentlemen present knew which would he
most advantageous for the town. Heyford was, he believed,
distant from them seven miles, and Diddington twelve miles.
He was not sure they would have a main line to Bicester ;
but if the prospectus was to be believed, they would come to
within a considerable distance of the town.—(Hear, hear.)
Bicester was:entitled to a main line. It was an agricultural
district, and therefore important that the cattle-feeders and
others should have the advantage of speedy communication
with the metropolis. His line would open to them Birming-
ham on one side and Landon on the other. They had fifty
men employed in going over the ground in that district
making the necessary surveys.
Mr. OGLE (attending with a deputation from the London
and Dublin Approximation Company) next addressed the
meeting. He said that line was more direct than the others,
opening communication from the metropolis to Holyhead,
passing through many towns in its progress, and within a
mile of Bicester. •

Mr. JOHNSON NEALE also supported this line, urging that
it would give the farmers and others of the neighbourhood
the opportunity of taking their prodnce to the manufac-
turing districts of the north, and enable them to bring over
the Irish cattle to fatten.
Resolutions and amendments in favour of the two last
lines were discussed, several gentlemen resident in the neigh-
bourhood taking part in the discussion, but it was ultimately
resolved to adjourn the meeting until after the 30th of
November next, in order to see which of the companies
should deposit its maps and plans pursuant to the standing
orders of the House of Commons.