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

FOREST OF DEAN COMPETIN-G RAILWAY.

THE 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
Glamorgawhire, 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 imme-se
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••
suming 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,
would also be opened up, and that also was a prominent fea-
ture in the scheme.

Mr. NICHOLSON fully coincided in the resolution which they
had passed 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 arrangenient should be made
with the Severn and Wye proprietlrs ; 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.—(Chsers.)
Mr. JACKSON read a letter from Mr. Brunel, stating that
both the Great WeMtern 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
Severn, 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 bis only object was to assist in carrying into
eifi ct 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.

BRISTOL AND EXETER.
MEETING TO OPPOSE THE DIRECTORS' AGREEMENT.

A 'netting of shareholders in this Company, was held on
Monday, at Bristol, for the purpose of consideri-g the pro-
priety of oppesing the provisional agreement entered into be-
tween the Directors of the Great Western and Bristol and
Exeter Railway Companies, for the sale f the works of the
latter to the former Company. The chair was taken by W.
Crosse. Esq., a large proprietor.
H. Biarrix, 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 opiosition to it.
SIMCOE 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 bad 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 agreement 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— I
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE NOTTINGHAM TOWN
COUNCIL.
Norrracatax, 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 CuLLEs said the requisition had been
handed to him to sign, and he had put his name to it with
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 want
of conveN a' 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 he sorry in any respect to render himself liable to the
imputation of having cast any reflection upon any existing
railroad, or any newly projected onP, 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 had 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. Bs. 6d., or ls. 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, but the change of carriages
and delays were felt to be of great inconvenience. If he
wanted to gn 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 do..
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. BEAN
.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.
Tile 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.

SOUTHta WoodstockN MIDLAND-JUNCTION.
L A N D
and- J Ui
its
CT
vicinityl ON . .
of the inhabi
On Tuesday afternoon a numerous and influential meetingat
the Town-hall, Mr. J. T. Palmer,Mayor, in the chair,
amongst whom we noticed B. Holloway, • , Esq.,,
Esq., W. Hunt, E.,q., E. Cole,_sq
_oawta.,., W. Turrter,
El, H. North. Esq., and \Pessr.s' Captain
Gnll3''e"B'l4. Smith,
T. liggins, G. Shuffery, W. Morris, H.
ivirobri3:;, W Norris,
Eder,
&c., for the purpose of receiving a deputation' fromW.
London Committee of the South and Midlands Juncttiohn
Railway Company, and to consider the effect which railways
were calculated to have upon the tOwn and its interests.
The deputation consisted of the Mayor of Buckingham,
Captain Dewes, W. C. Turner, Esq:, B. Holloway, Esq.,
E. C le, Eq., M`?.llnrdp, Esq., and W. B. James, Esq.
r • Mr. SHQFFF.RY said that he considered that the proposed
line, the South and Midlands Junction, was calculated to be
of the greatest advantage to Woodstock, and therefore he
moat cordially should propose this resolution—
, " That it is highly desirable that a railway communication

should be brought to Woodstock, and thit it shall be 2,s direct
as the nature of the country will admit of."

Mr. KIRBY had great satisfaction in the
proposed line, and in secondieg the resolution.
The resolution was unanimously passed.
The MAYOR of Buckingham observed, that in every case
where a railway was projected it was the duty of the pro-
motors of the particular line to go down to every town
through or near which the rail would run, and consult the
inhabitants upon it. This company had adopted this course
of proceeding; and the deputation from the committee was
now before the inhabitants of Woodstock, with the hope ofr6-
ceiving their approval and support of the scheme.—(Hear).
The surveys of the line were so forward as to make it a
matter of certainty that all the plans and all the maps
would be deposited long prior to the period marked out
by the standing orders—(Hear, hear, hear). They would'
then be in a position to go to Parliament in the
ensuing session—(Hear, hear) —with every prospect of suc-
cess. It had beet' intended that they should have had a
meeting at Bicester yesterday, but to meet the wishes of the
inhabitants the Company had consented to postpone it until
after the 30th of November, the day upon which all the plans
and all the maps, and all the sections must be deposited in
the Parliamentary office. With respect to the course which
it was proposed that this line should run, he would briefly
state that it will originate at Bicester, by a junction with
the Oxford and Cambridge line, through Wolverton, in
connexion with the Eastern Counties, and would
thus afford facility of intercoarse with the metro-
polis, in one direction, with Stafford, the Potterie.,
Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester, in the
other. Near or at Woodstock, close where the
line will come, the Oxford and Rugby, and Worcester rail-
way will cross, presenting thus opportunities of entering
the two great arteries of the kingdom—the Great Western
and the London and Birmingham, the former oat Didcot
the other at Rugby.—(Hear, hear). The line will-t4en pro-
ceed to the manufacturing town of Whitney, where a -horn-
munication will be opened to the Stroudwater district, by
' means of the Oxford and Cheltenham line; thence it
would tend directly S.E., leaving Bampton to the east,
until it reached Lechlade, where a considerable entrepot
for merchandise had been established. The line would
thence proceed onward till it fell into the Great 'Western
at Swinden. It would thus open a continuous railway
communication with London eastward, and with Bristol,
Batb, Exeter, Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Stroud, west-
ward, and thence, by means of the Gloucester and Aberyst-
with projected line with the whole of north and south Wales.
—(Hear, hear, hear). There was, however, one feature peca-
liar to the line, that it would have the effect of continuing the
narrow gauge lines of the north with those of the south, for it
would cross the broad -gauge at Swindon, without the least
inconvenience or impediment to the general traffic of the
Great Western.— (Hear, hear). Individually, he felt great
interest in this line, for it would be in connexion with, two
others with which he was associated, the Cambridge and
Oxford, and that which would join the Bedford and
Bletchley lines.--(Hear, hear). He was confident the inha-
bitants would already have seen the advantages which had
been derived by other towns from railway communication,
and that they must be anxious to enjoy equal benefits
themselves.—(Hear, hear).
Mr. H. Mourns proposed a resolution of support.
Mr. SHUFFERY seconded the resolution, which was put,
and unanimously agreed to.
Captain DEWES then moved the third resolution, which
ran thus—" That petitions be presented to both Houses of
Parliament, in favour of the South and Midlands Junction
Railway, and that the peers connected with this district of
the county, and the representatives of the borough, be re-
quested to snpport the same."—(Cheers.)