The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-19 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE JUNCTION.

On Friday a meeting of the Provisional Committee
and supporters of the South Staffordshire Junction line
was held at Wolverhampton, Mr. C. A. Forster, the High
Sheriff of StXord, in the chair, for the purpose of re-
ceiving the report of the Committee of Management re-
specting the result of overtures for the amalgamation of
the Company with the Trent Valley, Midlands, and
Grand Junction.

Amongst the gentlemen present were—The Right
Hon. Lord llatherton, the Hon. E. R. Littleton, C. Furs-
ter, Esq., barrister ; G. B. Thorneyeroft, E,q. ; R. C.
Jones, Esq. ; Captain Dyott, the Mayor of Worcester ;
the Mayor of Lichfield ; P. M. Gladstone, Esq. ; W.
Matthews, Esq ; T. Badger, Esq. ; Edw. Terry, Esq.,
Mayor of Dudley ; C. H. Bracebridge, Esq. ; Captain
Huish, Secretary to the Grand Junction Company ; J.
Mott, Esq. ; M. Gibbons, Esq. ; E. Elwell, jun., Del..;
Grazebrook, Esq , and many other influential gen-
tlemen in the neighbourhood. _
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business of the meet-
in, said that having so lately met the gentlemen present
at Lichfield, he had not much to remark upon, the prin-
cipal matter being the overture mule to Colonel Anson
on behalf of the Trent Valley and South MAland Com-
pany, for an amalgamation of interests, but that over-
ture had been rejected ; and it appeared a battle must be
fought, and when they, the gentlemen around him, looked
at the position of the scheme they were met to advance,
he thought there could be no doubt of the result of the
contest. The South Staffordshire Company appeared to
be daily rising in public opinion, and the advantages the
Company offered would, he doubted not, secure a vast
support in favour of their undertaking.
Mr. H. BARNETT, the Secretary, then read the
minutes of the meeting held at Lichfield last week, and
also the minutes7of a Committee meeting, held previous
to the pubic meeting, frome which it appeared the Com-
mittee were of opinion that it wae: desirable that the
Shrewsbury and Grand Junction Railway scheme should
be carried out, and that no more than 22,500 shares
should at present be allotted. It was alse resolved by
;he Committee that the Wolverhampton end
.Stafford-
shire Banking Company be added to the list of bankers
to the Company, and that several gentlemen be added to
the Provisional Committee.

Lord ILLTHEirroN thought some resolution should be
come to in reference to the -number of parties who should
be allowed to become members of the Provisional Com-
mittee, as such appointment, carrying with it the allot-
ment of seventy-five shares, the applications were so
numerous that the Committee could not receive the
whole of them, and he thought it would be better to
leave the matter in the hands of the Committee of
management. His Lordship having moved a resolution
to this effect, it was seconded by Mr. Thorneycroft, and
passed unanimously; after which
Mr. G. B. THORNEYCROFT said be thought it neces-
sary that the gentlemen present should know whether
the reports that had been raised and circulated through-
out the iron districts had any foundation. It had been
said that the Grand Junction, by meals of the present
Company, intended to cross the level of the Birming-
ham Canal in such a way as to prevent the scheme of
the railway from Wolverhampton to Birmingham, by
means of the purchase of the canal. He (Mr. Thorney-
croft) was very glad to inform them that such was not
the case, as he had inquired of the engineer, and found
that no such thing was contemplated.
At the close of the meeting between forty and fifty
gentlemen sat down to a sumptuous dinner, the sheriff
in the chair. _ _

The CHAIRMAN, in proposing sucFeas to the South
Stafford Junction, said—ln these days of railway pro-
jects, every town with its 10,000 inhabitants ought to
have the advantage of railway communication; but until
the present project was started, many populous and im-
portant towns were left without this accommodation.
In addition to the advantages which commerce derives
from railways, he conceived that the interests of agricul-
ture would be equally benefited by them ; and with re-
spect to the proposed line, while they had Wolverhamp,
ton and Dudley (which might be considered the empo-
rium of the trades of the district), while they might say
of the country up to Walsall, that it was a fine con-
suming country ; there was also a good producing
country beyond it, through which their line would pass,
and he had no doubt their line would have the sanction
of the population of that district. Since the South
Staffordshire Company had preferred their claims for
public support, they had been met by a rival company, for
their opponents admitted that the South Staffordshire
project was first in the field ; but while he did not blame
their rivals from forming alliance, he must say he objected
to any other than a fair and honourable alliance, and to
the conversion of canals int ) railways. When the gen-
tlemen present considered the position of the South Staf-
fordshire Company, the entire support they had received
from one town on their route, the almost unanimous
support they had obtained from two others, and the
vast majority of the inhabitants who were in their
favour in the remainder, he could not conceive on what
ground the Legislature could resist the demand for
railway accommodation in so populous and, important a
district.
Lord HATHERTON proposed the health of the chair-
man, which was followed by several routine toasts, pro-
posed awl responded to by Mr. Crane, Mr. Mott, Mr.
Chawner, Mr. Gladstone, Captain Dyott, Mr. Thorney-
croft, and others.