The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-05 00:00:00

GREAT- WESTERN RAILWAY.

A Special General Meeting of the Proprietors of the Great
Western Railway Company was held at the office of the Company,
at Paddington, yesterday, at one o'clock, for the purpose of consi.
define the Bill now before Parliament, under which powers were
proposed to be conferred on the Company for . purchasing,
leasing, and contributing towards the formation of a railway from
Cheltenham and the Great Western Union Railway to Fish-
guard and Pembroke Dock, with branches therefrom,
to be called the South Wales Railway ; the Chelten-
ham and Great Western Union Railway, to Monmouth
and Hereford, with branches to join the Forest of Dean Railway;
the Newbury and Hungerford Railway; the Oxford and Rugby
Railway ; the Oxford to Worcester and Wolverhampton ; the
Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway, the Cornwall Railway ;
and also the draft of a copy of a Bill, entitled " a Bill for enabling
the London and Birmingham Railway to take a Lease of the
West London Railway, and te extend it to the River Thames."
The chair was taken at one o'clock, by Charles Russell, Esq , M.P.
The advertisement calling the meeting having been read by Mr.
Sanders, the Secretary,
The CHAIRMAN said, that after the several resolutions
that had been passed at previous meetings, sanction-
ing the several schemes that had been read from
the advertisement, the meeting of that day was matter
of mere form ; but that matter of form was necessary in order to
comply with the standing order of the House of Lords. That
order was—" That in the case 01 Bills to empower any
Company already constituted by Act of Parliament to execute
any work other than that for which it was originally
established, a draft of the proposed Bill must be submitted to a
meeting of the proprietors of such cempany, called by advertise-
ment, inserted for four consecutive weeks in the news-
papers of each county, wherein such new works were
proposed to be executed, and which meeting must be
held not earlier than seven days after the last insertion of such
advertisement ; and at such meeting the draft of the proposed Bill
must be approved of by at least three-fifths of the proprietors pre-
sent." Now, it was to comply with that standing order
that they had met, and the advertisement had stated the names of
the Bills and the purport of them, which the proprietors were
then called upon to sanction. There were two railways to which
the Company had given guarantees, namely, the Wilts, Somerset,
and Weymouth Railway ; to the South Wales Railway they
had advanced half a million, and to the Cornwall 50,0001. He
had no doubt but that they had observed the progress which
their Bills had made in the House of Commons. Every one of
their Bills had passed the Standing Orders Committee—a fact which
was exceedingly creditable to those to whose care the management
of those Bills had been confided. All their Bills had also passed the
second reading ; thus the principle of each of their Bills had been
recognised. Two of their Bills—the Berks and Hants, and the
Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth—had passed the House of Com-
mons, and were now in the House of Lords, awaiting the approval
of the proprietors, in order that they might be proceeded with forth-
with. The South Wales and Hereford Rill would go into
Committee that day—at least the Committee to which
the Bill was referred met that morning. The Oxford
and Rugby lines were at present the subject of investiga-
tion before a Committee of the House of Commons, and
they were every moment in expectation of hearing the result. A
Committee had been appointed te consider the West London
Railway Bill. The Bil!s were' on the table, and would be read
by the Secretary if it should be thought desirable.
The SECRETARY then read the titles of the several Bills, and the
marginal notes of the sections.
The South Wales, the Monmouth and Hereford, and the Bucks
and Hants Bills, were agreed to without discussion.
On the question being put on the Oxford and Rugby Bill,
Mr. Dosaig inquired whether this was a line in which the
Great Western Company alone was interested

The CHAIRMAN stated that it was.
Mr. DOANE—We have nothing to do with the London and Bir-
mingham in it.
The CHAIRMAN—Nothing whatever.
Mr. DOANE—Then, of course, the broad gauge will be adopted.
The CHAIRMAN-1f we obt,in the Bill the gauge will be our own.
Mr. DOANE—There has been, then, no conipromiseon the subject.
The CHainsteN—None whatever. It is our determination to
make it a broa,l gauge line.

The Bill was then unanimously agreed to.
On the question being put on the subject of the Oxford, Wor..
cater, and Wolverhampton Bill,
Mr. DOANE asked if there was any clause in the Bill regulating
the construction of the line, and what the gauge would be ?

The CHAIRMAN—From Oxford to Worcester the broad gauge;
from Worcester to Wulverharnpton both gauges.
The SECRETARY stated that there was no clause regulating the
construction in the Bill, but that such a clause would be intro-
duced In Committee.

A PROPRIETOR asked the Chairman if he could form any idea as
to what the decision of the Committee would be?

The CHAIRMAN said that the members of the Committee very pro-
perly kept their views so secret that there was not the slightest
ground on which to form a conjecture on the subject. All he
could say was, that the line ought to be theirs.
The Bill was then agreed to unanimously, as was the Wilts, So.
merset, and Weymouth Bill.

On the question being put as regards the Cornwall Railway,
A PROPRIETOR admitted that the Company were bound to sup.
port the Bill, but in case of any accident happening to it, he
hoped the Company would not enter into any further arrangements
which would prevent them from carrying a railway through the
centre of Devon and Cornwall with abroad gauge.
The CHAIRMAN said that the question whether the railway should
pass through the centre of Devon and Cornwall had been maturely
considered by the Directors; and he could not hold out any expecta-
tion that such a line would be carried out.

The PROPRIETOR said he had merely suggested the subject for
consideration.

The CHAIRMAN clearly understood the object of the question,
and wished to prevent the circulation of any rumour that the
Company had hesitated at all as to the course which the railway
ought to take.

The Bill was then agreed to unanimously.
The West London Bill was agreed to unanimously.
A PROPRIETOR asked how it was proposed to raise the required
capital ?
The CHAIRMAN replied that that question had not yet been taken
into consideration by the Directors, for several reasons. First, it
was necessary to know what would be
of capital required the actual amount
of the money marketse;c
ve the subject their
secondly, they
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extreme dslicacy, and they must take care so to manage
it as to prevent jobbing. They were not determined as to
the course which they should pursue, but he could assure the
Hon. Proprietor that the Directors would
most serious consideration, and that at the earliest time they would
give the Shareholders specific information on the subject.
A PROPRIETOR—What is the use to us of the West London
Railway 9
The CHAIRMAN—We get further into London ; it brings us
nearer the Thames ; and it is necessary we should have it, to pre-
vent It from falling into other hands.
A PROPRIETOR—We have it with the London and Birmingham
Company.
The CHAIRMAN—A joint possession with the London and Bir.
mingham Company.

The thanip cf the Proprietors were then voted to the Chair-
man, who briefly acknowledged the compliment, and the meeting
separated.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING•

LONDON, JUNE 4.—Wind S.W., fresh breeze and line, but showery
at times.
COWES, JUNE 3.—W1,1d westerly.—Arrd. Lnsitania, Konopken,
Porto Rico, and sailed for Antwerp.
DEAL, JUNE 3.—Wind W.S.W. to S.W., moderate, at 10 P.M.—
Arrd. Hindsstan, Lamb, Madras ; Ready Rhino, New York ; H. N.
M. S. Jason, Texel for Batavia. Sld. Hebrides, Bombay.
PORTSMOUTH, JUNE 3.--Wind W.W. to W.—Arrd. Northumber-
land, Griswold, New York, and sailed for London. Off, Josephine,
Batavia for Rotterdam.
SCILLY, MAY 31.—Arrd. Minerva, Parker, Valparaiso.
OFF SALCOMBE, JUNE 2.—America, Stephenson, New Orleans ;
Sophie, New York.
PLYMOUTH, JUNE 3.—Wind variable.—Arrd. Boadicea, Brest, to
ship a crew; Collingwood, Brest, to ship a mate.
BIDEFORD, JUNE 2.—The Wanderer, of Shoreham, from Wool.
wich to Newport, ran ashore on S. W. Sands in the entrance of the
harbour early yesterday morning, but was assisted off after beating
heavily, but without touch apparent damage.
BRISTOL, JUNE 3.—Wind W. by N.—Arrd. Maria, Barbadoes.
OFF WATERFORD.—Mary Ellen, Hurler, Barbadoes, and sailed for
Liverpool. •
OFF SALCOMBE.—Kandiana, Ridley, Calcutta.
OFF PLYMOUTH.—Diamond, Irvine, Buenos Ayres.
OFF FALMOUTH, JUNE 2.—St. George, Pattison, St. Vincent; Ellen,
Wilson, Port Philp ; Mania, Bugh, Jamaica
OFF WEYMOUTH.—John Millett, Christopher. Mauritius.
OFF PENZANCE.—John Beyes, South Australia, sailed Feb 5.
LIVERPOOL, JUNE 3.—Wind W.S.W., fresh.—Arrd. Aden, King,
China; John Campbell, MidgleY, Old Calabar, sailed Feb. 28, Fer-
nando I'o, March 9; • Win. Wallis, Pringle, Calcutta; Oscar, Jamie-
son, Benin ; r uperb, A pPletont Sierra Leone, April 12 ; Alice, Chap-
man, Paraiba; Columbia, Kilby, Lord Memistone, and The Duke,
New Orleans ; Ottawa, Mobile;
Evergreen and Johnstone, Charles-
ton; Susquehannah, Philadelphia ; Columbus, New York.
Sld. Alecto, Madras; Lady Combermere, Columbia River;
Corisbrook, Quebec ; Woodstock, Mauritius ; Lord John Russell,
Grenada ; Anna Dingwall, St. Thomas's ; Sisters, St. Lucia ; Hud-
son, New York; Arabian, Imogene, Jos. Cunard, and Lord Canter-
bury, Quebec. Tim barqueNuma,
was spoken April 27, lat. 34,
lon. 61, making 18 inches water per hour, having been on the Mater-
mille Reef, but not in want of assistance, by the Ocean Queen,
arrived here.
YAWRY BAY.—Arrd. her Majesty's brig Rapid, and steamers Hydra
and Eclair.
SWANSEA, JUNE 2.—Arrd. Sarah Nicholson, Cuba.

The French Naval Commission held its last sitting
en Saturday, his Royal Highness the Prince de Joinville being
present. It appears that the labours of the commission have not
been confined to the steam navy, but have been extended to the
whole of the fleet, Loth present and in prospective.—Gatignani
of Wednesday.
Orders were received at Toulon, on the 27th ult.,
to prepare for immediate service three ships of the line. It is said
that their destination is lirst Cadiz, and then the coast of Morocco.