The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-24 00:00:00

FOREST OF DEAN COMPETING RAILWAY.

Tins SPEECH HOUSE, WEDNESDAY.—The Speech House,
the place of assembly for the foresters, when public questions
have to undergo discussion, was well filled to-day by the
proprietors of mines and minerals, and other influential
persons called together, "to take into consideration the
merits of the various railway projects affecting the forest,
proposed to be brought before Parliament in the ensuing
session, with the view of obtaining the most comprehensive
and perfect railway communication with the different ports
on the Severn and Wye, and the trunk railways of the dis-
trict. Thomas Rosser, Esq., was called to the chair.
Mr. PHELPS said the line with which he was connected
proposed to afford the necessary communication with the
Severn to the forest, and that it was then to meet the
South Wales line at Chepstow The immediate object of the
project was to connect the forest with Monmouthshire and
Glamorganihire, and surveys were in progress for connecting
the line with Pontypool and the Taff Vale. The advantage
to arise from connecting the forest with the counties he had
mentioned were somewhat novel, because there an immense
consumption existed of what was called red iron ore which
was brought from Lancashire and other counties, and some
small portion from the forest. The opinion, however, was
that the forest was of itself able to supply all that was
wanted, if the means of transporting it by means of a railway
existed. It was one grand feature of the scheme he repre-
sented, that it would open a direct communication with con-
sliming districts, and not only so as regarded the minerals,
but the produce also of their farmers. The port of Chepstow,
the only legitimate one to which the forest was entitled,
woul.l also be opened up, and that also was a prominent fea-
ture in the scheme.

Mr. GUY rose to move another resolution, that the meet,
ing approved of the line of railway, but reserved a full con-
sideration of where the station was to be; and that the
meeting would adjourn to that day week, when they would
consider the alternative plans which the Company might
propose.
Mr. Moss seconded the resolution.
Mr. NIGHTINGALE moved simply that the meeting adjourn.
A long and angry squabbling followed the proposing of
these resolutions, each contending that their resolution
should be put. It was at last suggested that the movers and
seconders of the different motions should retire to another
room, and agree in one resolution. This was agreed to by
all the parties except Alderman Fricker and his seconder,
Mr. Ranyard, who insisted that their amendment should be
put to the meeting. With much persuasion they were re-
luctantly induced to comply; but after being absent for some
time, the parties returned to the room and announced that
all were agreed in one general resolution except the two gen-
tlemen who had from the first opposed the retiring. The
general resolution was substantially an approbation of the
line, with a request that the Company would make the
station at Kingston, if practicable. This last clause gave
some dissatisfaction ; •it was altered so as to seem that the
meeting approved of the line, on the understanding that the
Company pledged themselves to make the station at King-
ston, if practicable. Still, this did not meet the views of the
alderman and his recorder, who again insisted that their
amendment should be put to the vote. The other party
agreed to adopt their amendment, with the exception of the
last clause, which was to the effect that, so soon as the Com-
pany laid before them plans fer a station at Kingston, they
would give the line their cordial support. This omission,
however, did not satisfy the worthy alderman ; and, after
many angry retorts upon each other, several ineffectual at-
tempts to effect an agreement, and two or three failures in
putting the question to the vote, it was at last agreed to vote
on this question, whether the general resolution should be
adopted with the clause referred to, or without it. BRISTOL AND EXETER.
On a show of hands being taken, 36 voted for the omission MEETING TO OPPOSE THE DIRECTORS' AGREEMENT.
of the clause and 35 for its insertion. The resolution in A meeting of shareholders in this Company, was held on
support of the line was, therefore, declared to be carried. Monday, at Bristol, for the purpose of considering the pro-
Thanks were then proposed to the Mayor and Ur. Kent, priety of opposing the provisional ag-reement entered into be-
_ , tween the Directors of the Great Western and Bristol and

iir.l4icxorstWfully coincided in the resolution which they
had pa4sed last week, that the wants of the forest could be
best supplied by the South Wales, under the sanction and
patronage of the Great Western Company, in connexion
with the South Wales and Monmouth,. and Hereford and
Gloucester, and Dean forest lines. He thought that it was
exceedingly desirable that an arrangement should be made
with the Severn and Wye proprietors; but if all amicable
overtures should fail, he did not think it possible that Par-
liament would allow that company to continue to lock up
the produce of the forest.—(Clisers.)
Mr. JACKSON read a letter from Mr. Brunel, stating that
both the Great 'Western and the South Wales Companies
were anxious to afford more comprehensive accommodation
to the forest than was contemplated last session, that mea-
sures were in progress for establishing additional ports on the
Sevens, and doing other things for the benefit of that district
of country.
Mr. ORD (one of the deputation) then addressed the meet-
ing, expressing a hope that, as he had become connected with
the forest as a proprietor of property, he would have frequent
opportunities of meeting them. With respect to the Rochnar
project, with which he was connected, he could assure the
meeting that his only object was to assist in carrying into
effect the best possible means of accommodation ; but time
could only show which was best.
Thanks were then voted to Mr. Phelps and to Mr. Rosser,
after which the meeting separated.

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Exeter Railway Companies, for the sale a the works of the
latter to the former Coinp.aiy. The chair was taken by W.
Crosse, Esq., a large proprietor.
H. BitrrrAN, Esq., insisted that the proposed sale to the
Great Western Company would be ruinous to the interests of
the Bristol and Exeter proprietary, and recommended that no
time should be lost in organising an opFosition to it.
Mr. SIMOOE denounced the agreement as most unjust and
derogatory to the Bristol and Exeter Railway Company, and
proposed that Mr. Badham, secretary to the Company, should
be requested to attend, in order to explain to the meeting the
motives by which the Directors had been influenced in con-
senting to the agreement.
The resolution was opposed by Mr. TRIPP, who strongly
denounced the agreement as being ruinous and unjust, and
such as it was an insult to the understanding of the pro-
prietors to advise them to accede to. If the Directors had
been in a position in which they could not help themselves,
their assenting to such terms might have been under-
stood, but, under the present circumstances of the Company.
they had betrayed an amount of ignorance which would
henceforward lose them all confidence as railroad directors.
He strongly opposed holding any conference with the Di-
rectors or their Secretary until the day of the public
meeting.
Mr. HALL, also condemned the agreertient as an improper
one, and recommended attention to the country shareholders
in order that the directors might not carry their point by
obtaining their proxies in favour of the agreement.
The motion to receive Mr. Badham was put, and it was
resolved to oppose the agreement, for which purpose a Com-
mittee was appointed.

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION FOR NOTTINGHAM—
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE NOTTINGHAM TOWN
COUNCIL.
Norrwcatax, WEDNESDAY.—To-day a special meeting
of the council was held in the Guildhall, commencing at ten
o'clock in the forenoon.
The meeting had been specially convened by the Mayor,
on account of a requisition, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the most advantageous railway communication
for the town of Nottingham, and also for the sale of land on
Burton Leys.
Mr. Alderman CULLEN said the requisition had been
handed to him to sign, and he had put his name to it with
a degree of feeling upon the important situation in which
Nottingham is placed, with regard to railway communi-
cation from all parts of the United Kingdom, which
he supposed was a fact well known to all the gentle-
men present. Greater facilities being required than it now
possessed, it became important to consider which way this
important object should be acquired. If travellers go to the
north, they have a long round to travel ; and if they go to
the south by the present railways, they have to suffer great
inconvenience by changing carriages, and to endure tiresome
delays. In short, whether going, north, south, east, or west,
every species of inconvenience is experienced, or a total v ant
of conveyance by railway is felt. Whether the council would
do anything to counteract these evils, he, of course, could
not say, but being one of the requisitionists, he had felt it his
duty to bring the subject forward, to give an opportunity to
gentlemen to express their opinions. Looking at Notting-
ham as a commercial town he was bound to say it ought to
be placed on a better footing than it now is, and that a de-
finite course as to railways should be adopted, to place the
town in its right position, He wished, before any motion
was made, to hear ether opinions on the subject.
Mr. TAYLOR thought that a commitee should be appointed.
Mr. T. WAKEFIELD said he believed there was only one
opinion that Nottingham, from its importance and central
position, does not possess that railroad communication to
which it is entitled, and which it ought to obtain. He
should be sorry in any respect to render himself liable to the
imputation of having cast any reflection upon any existing
railroad, or any newly projected one, and in his remarks he
wished to call attention only to those points calculated to
enable the town, through the medium of the Council, to secure
the best line of communication, as he thought, out of the com-
petition which bad arisen and capital being expended, they
had the opportunity of doing. If travellers go direct to Lon-
don from Nottingham by railroad, the charge is 30s. by first-
class ; but if a ticket be taken to Leicester the fare is 6s. 6d.,
and from thence to London 225., making 11.8 s. 6d., or Is. 6d.
less for the short distance than the long. Why the inhabitants
of Nottingham should pay more than the inhabitants of
Leicester, he could not say. In communicating from Not-
tingham to other towns, perhaps it might be said the inha-
bitants had no right to complain, bnt the change of carriages
and delays were felt to be of great inconvenience. If he
wanted to go to Sheffield, he should have to travel thirty
or forty miles further than he ought to have to go, and
the same with regard to Manchester and other parts of the
north. This he considered was not a position in which
Nottingham ought to remain. He thought they ought
not to forget the central and advantageous position of Not-
tingham, and the necessity of a direct line from London
through Nottingham to the North. A direct line from
Nottingham to Mansfield, continued as proposed by the
Boston, Newark, and Sheffield Railroad, to Manchester
and Sheffield, would shorten the distance to these places,
and to all parts of the North, at least thirty-five or thirty-
six miles. He was happy to say, as far as Nottingham is
concerned with the north, that arrangements have been
entered into that will secure the important object of shorten-.
ing distances, as an arrangement had been entered into on
the previous day between the Sheffield and Manchester Com-
panies that will effect it, and that the junction between
Great Grimsby and Sheffield had also been taken on a lease,
with a guarantee of 5 per cent., and a participation in the
profits arising from the union. This circumstance will give
to Nottingham an opportunity of securing a direct communi-
cation with the north of England, and also the eastern
parts of the country. He believed that a direct line was
wanted from London through Bedford and Kettering, to
Nottingham and Manchester, but of course it was a subject
for consideration hereafter, as to whether it would be de-
sirable to avail themselves of an opening on this line or not,
or whether any other line offered greater advantages.
As a preliminary step, he would move, " That Nottingham
does not at present possess that direct communication by
railroad to which, from its importance and central position,
it is entitled."
Mr. BRAN seconded the proposition with very great plea.
sure.

After a brief discussion, the motion was carried unani-
mously.
Mr. WAKEFIELD then moved—" That a committee be
appointed for the purpose of securing, as far as possible, to
the town of Nottingham the most direct railroad communi-
cations, and that whilst the committee will he expected to
report what routes of railway will be most advantageous to
the town, it shall be no part of the province of such com-
mittee to report upon the comparative merits of rival schemes."
Mr. BEAN seconded the proposition.—Carried unanimously.
The following were then appointed as the committee :
Mr. Heard, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Thomas Herbert, Mr. Bean,
Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Vickers, Mr. Wakefield,
Mr. H. Leaver.
The Council then broke up.