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

HULL, OcT. 16.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Durham and Sun-
derland, New, 2%—Hull and Selby (10 per cent. guar.), 103
—London and Brighton, 70—Leeds and Bradford Extension,
55—North British, Carlisle, 43A—Oxford, Worcester, and
Wolverhampton, 13%—Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush,
21/2—Axholme, 795. p.—Boston, Newark, and Sheffield, 614
—Cambridge and Lincoln, Cl. Bs. 9d.—Chelmsford and Bury,
2 %—Coventry, Nuneaton, &c., 3%—Derby and Gainsbo-
rough, 31. 14s. 6d.—Dudley, ladeley, and Iron Bridge,
475. 6d. p.—East Lincolnshire, s—East Coast, 3—Fleetwood,
Preston, and West Riding, 4%—Goole, Doncaster, and Shef-
field, 77/B—Grand Union, 3:4—Great North and South
Wales and Worcester, 13s. 6d. p.— Hull and Barnsley Junc-
tion, 43/4 p.—Liverpool and Leeds, 61A—London and Man-
chester (Rem.), 4%—London and Norwich- Direct, PA—
Nottingham, Erewash, &c., 7%—Nottingham and Boston,
43%—Nottingham and Mansfield, 53/—South and Midlands
Junction, 21. 17s.—Tean and Dove Valley, 3—Wakefield and
Bradford, 578—Yorkshire and Glasgow Union, 4%.

YORK, Ocr. 16.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Eastern Union Ex-
tension (Norwich), 51A—Midland, New 311 —Newcastle
and Darlington Junction, New (Brandling), 57%—North
British, New, 64—Ditto, Carlisles, 414—York and North
Midland Extension, 293%—Axholme, 65A—Birmingbam and
Oxford Junction, 6—Cambridge and
Lincoln, 6Y—Coven-
try, Nuneaton, Sirmingham, and Leicester, 4—Derby and
Gainsborough,334—Grand Union, 3%—Leicester and Bed-
ford, 4%—London and Windsor, I%—Newcastle and Ber-
wick, 1934—North Kent and Direct Dover, 43/4—South Mid-
lands, B%s—Welsh Midlands, 414—York and Carlisle, 5%.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

TONBRIDGE WELLS, BRIGHTON, AND HASTINGS

JUNCTION.

Yesterday a public meeting of the inhabitants of Hastings,
convened by the Mayor, was held in the Town-hall, for the
purpose of receiving a deputation from the Directors of the
above Company, and also from the Directors of the projected
Hastings Harbour Company.
Soon after two o'clock, George Scrivens, Esq., Mayor of
the borough, took the chair, at which time the Town-hall
was crowded to excess, and among those assembled were
some of the most influential citizens of Hastings.
The CHAIRMAN said that he had taken upon himself the
responsibility of calling the present meeting, and when lie
saw the numbers, the weight, and the influence of those who
attended it, he felt quite at ease as to the consequences of the
step he had taken. If they were able by means of railways
to bring back that prosperity and wealth which they enjoyed
during the war, without its evils, they would have much
cause to congratulate themselves. He begged to state that
in calling this meeting he had done it from a feeling of jus-
tice to any company who would come among them, and
give them their time and their trouble, in order to make for
them a railway and a harbour. Though he was a member of
the Provisional Committee of this Company, yet it was not
on that account he had called the present meeting, but be-
cause he thought that they were bound in justice to hear
all parties, and to have a fair discussion as to the merits of
the project.
S. A. FRY, Esq., barrister-at• law, one of the members of
the deputation, then addressed the meeting. He appeared
before them as representing an influential company, and he
would shortly explain their intentions with respect to the
railway which they had been called together to consider.
The question now before them was, whether there should be
a line direct from •Hastings to Tonbridge Wells. He was
happy to find they were all agreed that there should be a
railway; and he took it the only subject of contention was,
who was to have the making of the railway, and how the
railway was to go. Now, on behalf of the company fur which
he was addressing them, lie begged to remind them, that they
were first registered, and that their directors consisted of
gentlemen who occupied a most respectable commercial posi-
tion in the city of London, and of others possessed of great
local influence in this town. It was proposed to start from Ton-
bridge Wells ; but they did not mean to use the station of the
South-EasternCompany, because that would involve them in
the cutting of a tremendous tunnel, which by adopting another
terminus they might avoid. They meant to follow the
course of the valleys, and come by Wodehouse and Watling-
ton to Hastings. There would be two tunnels in their course.
They did not mean to bring their line as the crow flew, for
that would be absurd ; but they would avail themselves of
the natural course of the valleys, and they would take up
those railways which were scattered through the district as
feeders to the main trunk line. At the same time it would
not be concealed that they were not the only company in the
field. He would put it to them, whether their interests
would be better secured by an independent company, or by
one whose lines led in an entirely different direction, and
who would make Hastings a mere branch for their trunk line.
—(Hear, hear.) If they were satisfied with the gentlemen
on the committee of this company—men who held a high
commercial standing in London, and who were of great local
influence in this town, then he would put it to them whether
they would not prefer an independent company to one which
had an interest altogether different. He did not know what
the South-Eastern Company intended to do with regard to
the pier and harbour, but he thought they had enough of
such matters on their hands already. He must say that the
South-Eastern Company had taken no notice whatever of
Hastings, until after the announcement of this company in the
newspapers, and then it occurred to them to take
the subject into their consideration, and they agreed
that it would be expedient to make a railway.
He emphatically called upon them, as men of sense, if they
wanted a line between Tonbridge Wells and Hastings, to
take it into their own hands, and not to he made the victims
of a mere vote of expediency, and turned into a branch line ;
or perhaps by another vote the Directors might afterwards
discover that it was not expedient to make the line at all.
R. RANKING, Esq., moved the first resolution, to the effect,
that it was the opinion of this meeting that a direct and in-
dependent line from Tonbridge Wells to Hastings would be
ofgreatimportance to the town of Hastings and St. Leonard's,
and that the Tonbridge Wells, Hastings, and Brighton
Junction Railway Company was deserving of their support.
Mr. COOPER, in seconding the motion said, there was but
one opinion in the town that a railway to Hastings was
necessary, and an additional subject on which there was no
difference of opinion was, that they should have a harbour.

On the queAion being put,
Mr. SHORTER, town-clerk of the borough, said the meet-
ing had only been convened yesterday, at twenty-four hours'
notice, to receive a deputation from this company. This no-
tice was very short ; but still that was no reason why the
public should not receive information. He gave the deputa-
tion credit for the way in which their information had been
communicated; but it should be remembered that other com-
panies were also in the field. He admitted that he was there
to speak for the South-Eastern Company, and after hearing
the gentleman who preceded him affirm that that Company
had no moral claim to come to Hastings, he would ask
whether they had not an equal, if not a paramount, claim
to the present company? They were already making a line
from Ashford to Hastings, and they had a station here;
why then should they not be allowed to go from Hastings to
Tonbridge Wells? He was authorised to state that they did
intend to make the line; that the survey was in the course
of being made; that money was in their hands to do it; and
if they obtained the consent of the landlords along the line,
it would be made without the intervention of an Act of Par-
liament; therefore, he would contend that they had an equal,
if not a superior, claim to this company to make the line.
He then moved, as an amendment, that the thanks of the
meeting be given to the gentlemen of the deputation for their
explanations, and that this meeting declines to pledge itself
at present to any particular line of railroad.
Mr. ALMOORE seconded the amendment.
Mr. FRY trusted they would excuse his making a few ob-
servations before that amendment was put to the vote. It
was of no use to conceal the fact, that the effect of this amend-
ment would be, and was, probably, intended, to substitute one
company for another. It was all very well to compliment the
deputation, and to say that Hastings should not pledge itself,
but the practical effect of this amendment would be to
pledge the meeting for the one company against the other.
Mr. HARMAN would advise the meeting to support this
line at once. He supported it because it proposed to give
them that which they all wanted—a railway and a harbour;
and all their interests would be looked after. He was satis-
, fled of its merits; but he left the matter to them, they were
the jurymen to decide upon it.
F. SMITH, Esq., banker, wished to explain in a very few
words the position he had taken up with respect to this rail-
way. They had wanted a railroad for many years, and hopes
had been held out to them of obtaining one, but as yet they
had got none, and he believed they never would have one, if
the matter was to depend upon the South-Eastern Company.
He had taken up his present position because he saw there
was an intention to carry the scheme out.—(Applause.) He
never had been connected with railways, and he would have
had nothing to do with this, unless he saw that there was a
disposition to do good to the borough of Hastings. On that
account he did hope that the orginal resolution would be
carried unanimously.—(Applause.)
Mr. H. TWAITES said that Hastings was now in the po-
sition of a blooming virgin.—(Laughter.) All parties; from
the north to the south, from the frigid to the torrid zone,
were ready to pay their devoirs to her, and to bring her a
railroad.
Mr. WILLIAMS wished to know where the Hastings ter-
minus was intended to be.
Mr. LLOYD stated that it would be situated near the
Priory-marsh.
The vote was then taken, when eight or ten voted for
Mr. Shorter's amendment, and the great body of the meet-
ing for the original motion. This result was hailed with
loud cheering.
Mr. LLOYD then rose to explain the project regarding the
pier and harbour, whieh he said had been provisionally re-
gistered for the last three weeks, and he had come down to
ascertain what was really the feeling of the inhabitants of
Hastings on the subject.—(A voice—" There's no doubt about
it.") He did not think there would be any difference of
opinion ; but still he wanted some formal and authoritative
declaration from the inhabitants themselves, with which he
might return to London ; and then he would come down
again with Mr. Page, the engineer, and immediately set to
work on the subject. The first thing that it was natural for
them to ask was, where was it proposed to place the har-
bour? Now, he would say to them that the impression en-
tertained by the gentlemen in London was, that the fish-
market would be a proper place; but on this subject he
would not pledge himself. He had only further to say to
them, that if they would allow him to go to London to-
morrow morning with an authoritative declaration of their
opinion in favour of the project, he would pledge his word of
honour that he would return with the engineer on that day
week.—(Great applause.)
Mr. BREEDS, after a few observations, strongly urging
the importance of the scheme to Hastings, moved that a
harbour and pier to Hastings would be of great benefit to all
classes in the town, by securing ship and steam communica-
tion with Paris, through Dieppe, and that this meeting ap-
proved of the project of establishing a harbour and pier, and
would promote the object to the utmost of their power.
Mr. TREHURST seconded the motion.
Mr. WILLIAMS would like to know on what principle it was
to be brought to the town, before giving the scheme his sup-
port. Fourier projects had proposed to levy a rate on the
town; and others proposed a duty on coals and fishing-boats.
Mr. LLOYD explained that the Company would charge
certain dues, sufficient to afford a fair interest for their money,
on all vessels using the accommodation they afforded. The
idea of levying a rate on the town was certainly absurd.
Mr. SIIADWELL was afraid that the making of a harbour
would bring a malaria to Hastings, as it had done in other
places, which would certainly drive fashionable visitors from
the town of St. Leonard's, and thus the harbour would in-

jure, rather than benefit Hastings.
Mr. STRICKLAND suggested that the mud and malaria
complained of by Mr. Shadwell was only incident to harbours
upon rivers, and not to those that were consti ucted upon the
sea; and Mr. Cooper expressed his opinion that the harbour,
far from diminishing the rents of houses in Hastings, wank'
increase then 0 per cent, ashad been the case in Boulogne.

The MAYon sugge=ted that a loco] committee should be
formed to w,:tch over the interests of the town in the forma-

oft of the harly,w,

The resolution regarding the harbour was then pot and
carried unanimously ; and subsequently a local committee
was named to carry out the suggestion of his worship the
Mayor.

Mr. Fry then moved, seconded by Mr. Lloyd, that the
thanks of the meeting be given to the Mayor for his conduct
in the chair, after which the meeting separated.
TONBRIDGE AND RYE HARBOUR DIRECT.

The first meeting of the Provisional Committee of the
above line was held yesterday, at the temporary offices of the
Company, 94, Cheapside.
Mr. MONEYPENNY, upon taking the chair, stated that the
meeting was assembled for the purpose of taking into consi-
deration the expediency or non-expediency of making a rail-
road from the station of the South Eastern Company at
Tunbridge. or Paddock Wood, to Rye Harbour. They had
also to determine whether a deputation should attend from
that Company at the forthcoming meeting of landowners at
Cranbrook. Mr. Giles had been requested to survey and
report upon the best line of country, for the purpose of car-
rying a line from Paddock Wood to Rye, and they would
then hear the result.

Mr. PRESTON stated that they had met for the purpose of
forming a line of railway from Paddock Wood to Rye, the
nearest port to France. It was intended to pass through the
richest part of the Weald of Kent, containing many thou-
sand acres of hops and a considerable population. About
a fortnight ago a meeting of landowners of the dis-
trict was held, at which Lord Beresford, Captain King,
and other influential gentlemen and landed proprietors were
present. There did not exist the slightest difference of
opinion as to the advisability of making the proposed rail-
way, not merely as regarded the convenience of the inha-
bitants of the country through which it passed, hut also-as
a pecuniary investment. The only objection was, that the
line, which had been surveyed by Mr. Giles, passed through
the property of Lord Beresford, who, although favourable to
the line, was not willing that. it should intersect his property.
There was no other way of avoiding this difficulty, except
by going through the property of Mr. Roberts, which
immediately adjoined that of his Lordship's; the land-
owners, however, determined not to support any line which
passed through the grounds of the proprietors contrary to
their wishes. The meeting was therefore adjourned rntil
next Monday, with a view of giving Mr. Giles an oppor-
tunity of making a fresh survey in the meantime, in order
if possible to obviate the difficulty, a purpose which he had
since completely accomplished, and had now selected a line
which would meet the approbation of all parties. The port
of Rye had long been regarded as a most desirable one, in
many points of view; but in consequence of its out of the
way situation, and want of facility of communication with
the metropolis, it had not advanced as it otherwise would
have done. The inhabitants of Rye and the other places
upon the line were decidedly in favour of the proposed
railway. Rye would be benefited by being brought into
connexion with Maidstone, as well as other place.. Hitherto,
they had suffered from the railways having formed a kind of
barrier against them from north to south, a difficulty which
would be removed by the projected line. The hop-growers
were very desirous of availing themselves of the cheap mode
of transit for 0161 hops by railway, instead of the slow and
difficult mode of carriage by waggons.
W. BASTOW, Esq., then proposed, and J. BENSON, Esq.,
seconded a resolution to the effect, that it was expedient that

the proposed Company be establi;hed to carry out the object
as stated In the prospectus, subject to such alterations as
might from time to time be deemed advisable.
A managing Committee and officers were then appointed,
and also a deputation to the ensuing meeting at Cranbrook ;
and thanks having been voted to the chairman, the meeting
separated.

EXPERIMENTS ON THE CROYDON ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY
—Trains of from eight to twelve carriages each have lately
been daily running, sometimes from nine o'clock in the morn-
ing until dusk, upon that portion of the above line already
constructed, that is, from Forest-hill, close by the Dartmouth
Arms' station of the parallel line, as far as Croydon. These
trins are continued more with the view of exercising the men,
and thoroughly instructing them in the duties they will have
to perform when the line comes into full operation, than to
test the merits of the system, for. it appears now, from the
results of previous experiments, that this principle of railway
communication will succeed. Within the last few days seve-
ral of the directors, with many scientific persons, have had
ocular proof of the working of this line, and the imperfections
consequent upon an almost entirely novel undertaking, hav-
ing been removed, all who pronounced an opinion upon the
system were decidedly favourable to this plan, the
question as to the power of ascending inclines, and turn-
ing in curves, being decided in the affirmative. Our
reporter went by a train of eight carriages, yesterday, from
the Dartmouth Arms' station, to Croydon, at the rate of a
mile in eighty seconds; but on this occasion the break was
on for the whole, or a considerable part of the distance.
Some few daye.previously, however, a train of twelve car-
riages was propelled at the rate of seventy-five miles an
hour. So great is the rapidity sometimes, we are told, that
many birds, attracted to the tube by the composition and
grease, and unable to fly away soon enough on the approach
of a train, are struck and killed by the foremost carriage.
No time is yet positively fixed for the opening of the line,
but, from the advanced state of the works, it cannot be long
hence, probably a fortninght. On Monday next, it is stated,
that Sir RobertiPeel, Bart., with General Pasley, the In-
spector-General of Railways, and a large number of the aris-
tocracy, will take a trip on this line.
Hum, AND HOLYHEAD DIRECT.—This important scheme
is certain to be entertained and supported, as its merits are
not of an ordinary kind. It will be seen that it is to pass
between the two points that furnish its explicit title, by the
way of Sheffield, Macclesfield, and Chester. A summary of
the course of the line shows that this railway will connect
the North Sea with St. George's Channel, and thus form a
direct route from Holyhead to Hull. Commencing at Chester,
where it will form a junction with the Chester and Holy-
head, and Chester and Birkenhead, it will pass between
Northwich and Middlewich to Macclesfield, Sheffield, Ro-
therham, Doncaster, and Howden, and by a junction with
the Hull and Selby line, it will proceed to Hull. Between
Chester and Macclesfield' 17 miles will be saved; between
Macclesfield and Sheffield. 23; and between Sheffield and
Hull, 80 miles—an aggregate saving of 60 miles between
Hull and Chester. At Macclesfield the line will be con-
nected with the Manchester and Crewe, with the proposed
Leeds, Wakefield, Barnsley, and Sheffield, and likewise
with the proposed line from Sheffield through Gains-
borough to Great Grimsby. It will form a junction, too,
at Howden with the York and Selby, Leeds and Selby,
and the great northern railways. The desirableness and
the ultimate success of a route like this cannot but strike the
casual observer with the importance of its construction He
will perceive that its reach is an extended one, andthat its ul-
terior termini lie adjacent to countries whose trade would
readily find its way upon such a line. On the one hand, we
have the connexion of Hull with the ports of Europe, and
on the other that of Holyhead with the ports of the Irish
coast, while at. the same time more inland, we have the great
manufacturing, towns in direct working operation with this
route. The mineral wealth of Wales, too. will find outlets
by this course, so that the project may well be deemed one
of the most important that has yet been presented for public
approval. Thy surveys of this line have been commenced,
and we are hippy to know that it is in such hands as will
be able to push it forward with success.