The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-28 00:00:00

deration of which "we'are expressly precluded, there can be little
doubt that the arrangement proposed by the Newcastle and Ber-
wick line is decidedly preferable. The adfantage of a junction of
the different lines leading to Newcastle in a centrtil station must
be admitted to be very considerable, more especially when it is
considered that many of them carry a very large Weal traffic for
short distances. The number of local passengers entering and
leaving the present Gateshead station is stated to be not leis than
500,000 annually ; and on the Newcastle and North Shields Rail.
way 'not less than 850,000 passengers are conveyed annually. it
has been objected, that this amount of local traffic Might interfere
with the through traffic of the Newcastle and Berwici line, which
proposes to use the line of the Newcastle and North Shields for a
shoat distance; but, as the two lines will be united under one ma-
nagement, and as the number of through trains wilt not be great,
we do not think that any injurious amount of interference, either
in respect of public safety or convenience, need be apprehended.
The connexion with the Newcastle and North Shields Railway also
aff'ords a ready means of access to the shipping quays at Newcastle,
which is very desirab'e. '
It is proposed also to render the railway-bridge across the Tyne
available for the general traffic of coaches, carts, and foot pas-
sengers, which will be a considerable benefit to the town of New-
castle, the opinion of whose inhabitants, as exPressed.by resolutions
of the town-council, appears to be decidedly favourable to the mode 1
of traversing the town adopted by the Newcastle and Berwick
scheme, as compared to that of the competing scheme.
A similar preference appears:to be given to this scheme by the
inhabitants of Morpeth, on the ground that it affords them a better
station and preferable local accommodation ; and generally speak.
big, both in the above respects, and in giving a communication to
Alnwick, Blyth, and to the populous mining district of Killing.
worth, Benton, Seghill, &c., the Newcastle and Berwick scheme
important
itl
fieellKelso
o n superioritybficrtach:egio
I.
Tyne
yit object
ntasas gradients
oirona
tfdhitteehhnimest sne cheap
as
respect onpn
rrtterahnaesdir:eirpsip9i
parts
transport of
toaaa
finbvefeoattanthletea
advantage
fromc
oubl
ei
euoeenvifterhoy.e:
appears preferable to its competitor as a local line.
Yi-ion the
and
nhide:
the corresponding branch of the Northumberland schemgoenu.i 1
We have already referred to the ercumstances in which the
two schemes originated, and tiiiheir relations to the other existing • 1
railways la the great eastern line of Communication, for the
4
tpeurrainede ofbsytautisngin tkanatfatsuasch cothneysidheraadtioannsy cboeaultdin
question of the comparative public advantage of the schemes
themselves as finally enbMitted to us. 4s this point of view,
however, it becomes impossible to overlook them. On
the one hand, it is claimed as pne of the strongest grounds
of preference by the promoters of the NOrthumberlind line, that
their scheme is entirely independent of all existing railway inte.
rests; while, on the other hand, the connexion betw.cen the New..
castle and Berwick scheme and the lines already 'ecropleted or
sanctioned to the north and south of it, is urged by its promoters
as a valid reason, on public grounds, for giving It a *fere:ice.
The argument of the Northumberland Company ifs, that such
an identification of interest as amounts to a virtual monopoly
exiNKonong the different lines forming the eastern line, and that
t~iapoly would be consolidsted by Riving a preference to *be -111
Newcastle and BerwiC;c !tchrtnc
Rugby. It is therefore urged that it is highly important, oil
grounds of public policy, to break up this monopoly by placing
the important link between Newcastle and Berwick in the hands of
an independent Company, to a certain extent in opposition to the
existing interests.
After having given the subject all the consideration which its
undoubted importance merits, it does not appear to us that any.
thing that can be called monopoly, in the proper sense of the word,
exists at present, or would be extended or consolidated by giving a
preference to the Newcastle and Berwick scheme.
The different Companies forming the links of the line from
Rugby to Edinburgh, i e. the Midlands Companies, the Great
North of England, the Newcastle and Darlington, and the North
British, are independent of each other. As regards some of these
Companies, it is notorious that this independence is acted upon to
n interest.n a tira lly hlnavreebgeaerdn expected
oxPOtchteder
the fullest extent; and that there it not even that unity of manage.
Ithttininrotnuf
interest,
n d
those
h however,.. seof nth ei spu consolidates!
u w erebebiyn
Companies, again, this unity does exist to a greater or less degrees
founded in a great measure upon eommon interest.
theirtoT went
he
own
andsuwiuntnifip, policy c y a
nw which
identification
tie, and might be ditssolved to-morrow by the sharehalders of any
one of the Companies named, if they saw reason ta"believe that
yteroefs
promote the interests of other lines.
Inosapcerrmificaednettiot
There does not appear, however, to be the slightest ground for
alleging that this has been the case, or that the unitysof interest,
such as it is, which has subsisted amonethe different totnpanies on
the eastern line, has been otherwise than idvantgreous to the
public. The term "monopoly" cannot be applied WI any justice
to such a combination of the different'consectitive !Mks of a great
line of railway communication as tends to ensure the whole being
worked as one concern for the purposes of ;he through traffic.
On the contrary, the objection might be mordeptly applied to the
existence of one of such links in a statq of absOlute independence,
with both the power and the inducement to prit the 'public to in-
convenience, in order to extract an undue propqrtion of the
profits of the through traffic. Such instances are by no means
imaginary; on the contrary, many cases might be quoted where
the public have been subjected for long periods together to
great inconvenience, and have been heavily taxed, owing to
the absence of that unity of interest between connecting lines,
which is objected monopoly.
sufficient to - that
tins which ft
persons who
pool, or Dlancln
quently compel
mainder of the
also in practice,
among the ditTere..,
line of communicant
harmony and accurac,
sure speed and
also are apt to
were a long con:
interest. Coals
long distances wit,.
sufficient to remunerai
or twenty miles,
railways to the
through lines ii
advantage cans
of one througl
where cross lines,
ported by difleree
common interest,
such cases it is
manent nature, Jght to ..raised with extreme jealousy; but
the case appears to us to be very different as regards lines which COP.
stitute portions of what, for paramount public objects, must be
considered as properly one system.
We are of opinion, therefore, that in the case before us, such
modified identification of interest as exists between the Newcastle
and Berwick and the other eastern Companies cannot be considered
as objectionable on public grounds; but, on the contrary, as
furnishing an additional guarantee for the proper working of the
ine, and full development of its resources in the manner most ad-
vantageous for the public, reference being had to the peculiar cir.
cumstances in which the eastern chain of communication is placed
by the competition both of steamboats between London, Edinburgh,
and all the principal eastern parts, and also of the western line of
railway communication, which will afford a route between Edin.
burgh and London only a few miles longer than any that has bees
proposed on the eastern side of the kingdom.

t

In another respect, this same identification of interest affords an
important advantage, viz , in the additional security which it af-
fords for the completion of the undertaking in its integrity. The
returns of traffic submitted to us show a sufficient .but still a
moderate return on the capital that may probably be milked ;
and therefore, in the event of any unforeseen accident or change in
the army market, it is by no means an Improbable contingency.
that a new Company, left entirely to its own resources, might fail
to complete the more difficult and expensive portions of the work;
such for instance'as the bridgeelleoo:3 the Tyne and Tweed. The
united interest; however, of the Eastern Companies 'would at all
times be amply sufßcient to carry out a scheme promoted by them
in such a complete form, as to enable them to contend, at
the greatest possible advantage, with the competition of the
western lines for the Sco ch traffic. This consideration ap.
pears to Aur- alsO to be a sufficient answer to the objection which
has been urged by the promoters of the Northumberland scheme_
that if the scheme promoted by the eastern Companies is granted
there will be less likelihood of the present circuitous route of the
line betsseen Newcastle and Darlington being improved. The
engineering difficulties of the country on a direct lime between
Durham and Newcastle are known to be great, having formerly led
to Parliament suctioning the abandonment of that portion of the
projected line of the Great North of England Company for which
an Act had been obtained; and as the present route of tbeNew.
castle and Darlington Railway accommodates Sunderland, Shields.
and the population of the country better, and will 'be improved
by cutting off the angle at Brockley Whins, so as to be only a
few miles longer than the direct line, it may be questionable
whether the through traffic will be sufficient to justify the ea_
penditure necessary in order to carry a more direct line- with
tolerable gradients across the difficult country to the south of
Newcastle. Should this, however, appear to be the case, there
can be no season to apprehend that the combination of eastern
Companies, after completing the communication to Edinburgh,
would hesitate about effecting any. improvement which, in
the even balance of distance between the eastern and western lines
of communication with Scotland, was felt to be important. For
the following reasons, therefore,—
.

1. Because the Newcastle and Darlington is a decidedly better
line than‘the Northumberland, considered with reference to the
established method of propulsion upon railways, which alone has
undergone the test of experience;
2. Because it affords more local accommodation, and passes the
principal towns, in a manner considered by the inhabitants to be
more conducive to their interests ;
3. Because it affords more convenient bridges across the Tyne
and Tweed ;

And, 4. Because its connexion with the other railways forming
the eastern line of communication, affords a better guarantee for
its completion, and for its being worked in a manner the most bone..
ficial to the rublic. .

We are of opinion that, upon public grounds, it deserves a pre.
Terence over the competing Northumberland scheme.

In conclusion, we beg to draw attention to the passage of the
Fifth Report of the Select Committee of last year, in which it Li
stated, in recommending that reports should he made to Parliament
by this department upon railway schemes, "That no such reports
should be held to prejudice the claims of private persons, the
examination of which should be altogether reser►ed to the Houses
of the Legislature." _ _ _ _ _

In submitting to Parliament, in conformity with the recorn.
mendations of that Committee, the retults at which wo have
arrived, with a view to the information and assistanceof Parliament
in forming a judgment upon the schemes in question, in s• far as
our report may be available for that purpose, we are anxious that
it should be distinctly understood that we have arrived at these
results solely upon public grounds, and to the exclusion of all con.
siderations how far such results might require to be modified by a
due regard for private rights and interests.

DALHOUSIE.
C. W. PASLEL
D. O'BRIEN. G. R. PORTER.
S. LAING.

(vt)
hreE
dTNoTIFI CLERKS'ot7rNssubscribers,_ ,
Inds ASSOCIATION
thism ANDeet
ND.—The
heA iftTo ir
dnnfruiae generalo f
innEgPNonitfi?
ex-
cellent institution, was held on Wednesday evening, at
tshmeitLh,oindsoq.,n Bishopsgate-street. John Abel
treasurer of the society, in the chair.
The annual report read by the secretay showed a gradual
increase in the prosperity of the society, which, together
with the accounts, was warmly received.
PARIS, Pxn. 20.--It was erroneously stated by one
of the Paris journals that the two Englishmen, Parker
and Williams, who were taken up here on suspicion of
passing stolen Bank of England notes, had been re-
leased from custodv. They are still in prison, and it
has been proved tliat some of the notes which they
changed were the produce of three distinct robberies, viz.,
one at Bethnal-green in 1843, and two in Manchester last
year. Mr. Gude, solicitor, from London, and Mr. Beawick,
chief superintendent of police at Manchester, arrived in
Paris yesterday, and had an interview with Lord Cowley
and the French authorities. It is a curious fact that
the man who was tried for the Bethnal-green robbery,
and sentenced to transportation, but kept in England for
a year in tho hope that he would make disclosures, had
not left Cur New South Wales a month before notes derived
f:,ont that rubbery were in circulation here. The
amount of money found upon Parker and Williams_ is not
considerable; it amounts alto g
money changers here, with wheotnillerthtoesleesnsietnhallila:l (Xi. Thet)ransac-
at iroriei
ss
t They a
, are quarrelling
as
anxiousastow w
for as
the reward reallyr.r thea sa Bo
w. e
cause
e t
runner of the olden days could be. It is stillhoaprerdestthsa, tofsotinhae
information will be obtained, through these
parties concerned in the late bank robbery in England,_.
Correspondent of an Evening Paper.

ibjected to as creating moooroly. It will be
refer to one case, that of the interrup.
For a long time existed at Birmingham, whereby
had begun their journey between London and Lives.
hester, as second or third.class passengers, were fro.
gilled, either to take out first-class 'tickets for the re.
e journey, or to incur a serious delay. It is found
:e, that unless a very close unity of interest exifta
ferent portions of what really constitutes one peat
iunication, it is scarcely possinle.to introduce that
accuracy of arrangement which are essential to en.
I punctuality. Many imporUintvbia;sts of traffic
be neglected, which can only be pro 'developed
msecutive line of railway is united in one common
is and heavy goods, for instance, can be conveyed for
with a profit at rates which wild be altogether in-
emunerate a Company which had only a run of ten- •
lee, and thus many of the most hnpcitant benefits of
•
coMrsiunity at large can culyl)e obtained by uniting
in one interest.' Nor does it appear thaCauy •
result front such union among the consecutive littte
4h line, similar to that which may be apprefietided
nes, sanctioned for entirely different purposes. au
:rent streams of traffic, and Lifted by no legitimate
rest, combine for purposes of mutual defence. In
s evident that amalgamations, especially if of a per.
e, ought to be scrutinised with extreme jealousy hut