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

OXFORD AND CHELTENHAM.

A. public meeting of the inhabitants of Witney, Ox-
fordshire, was held at the Town-hall, on Thursday last,
is pursuance of a requisition addressed to the bailiffs., to
consider the best course !Pr the formation and mainte-
nance of the interests of the town with reference to the
projected lines between Oxford and Cheltenham.
Mr. J. W. Clinch, banker, presided. and Mr. LPake
attended on behalf of the Great Western Company.
Mr. J. NV ESTALL remarked that the subject of rail-
way communication between Oxford and Cheltenham
had recently been sufficiently before the public. Several
lines had be en proposed, but until the inch•pendent line
from Oxford to Cheltenham was brought forward, the town
of ‘Vitney stood no chance of any direct communication
between the Great Western and the Wolverhampton
lines ; and supposing the Handborough branch to be
made therefrom to Witney, they would be no nearer
Oxford than at home. The present was the only oppor-
tunity to carry out and secure a line which would be
beneficial to the town. The traffic of the town had
been aQcertained to amount to 17,0001. per annum, and
therefore there could be little doubt as to the profit which
a railway company could derive.
Mr. H. BATEMAN, of Asthally, proposed the first reso-
lution :—" That it is essentially to the interests of the
town of Witney and its neighbourhood to obtain
and secure the best possible railway communi-
cation between Oxford and Cheltenham, awl
thereby eastward of London, and westward to
Gloucester, the Forest of Dean, Monmouthshire, and
South \Vales, whereby the traffic flowing thence
through Witneys before the construction of the Great
Western Railway would be restored, the trade and ma-
nufactures of the town largely increased, and the wel-
fare and comforts of its population, especia'ly those of
the poor, be promoted by the due competition which
Gust thereby be excited between the Dean Forest and
Ish coal-fields, and those of Staffordshire and the
t orth, which latter are readily made available by means
of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Rail-
fray, by a branch to it from any branch line passing
hrough Wituey."
Mr. E. EARLY, of Witney, manufacturer, seconded
he resolution. Looking at the merits of the different lines,
he believed there were some considerable advantages in
the Handborough branch, but these were benefits which
he believed would equally arise from the direct line,
which would be a more general good. As a manufac-
hirer, he expected, upon the introduction of coals at a
reduced rate, that steam might be advantageously used
in their town. Thus, increase of labour would be pro-
duced, the trade of the town would be increased, and
the condition of the poorer classes would be ameliorated.
The resolution was carried nein. dis.
Mr. JOHN EARLY, of Witney, moved the next resolu-
tion :—" That none but a main trunk line of railway be-
tween Oxford and Cheltenham can afford to the public
in general, and confer on the town of Witney, such ac-
commodation and advantages, and that therefore the
proposed Oxford, Witney, Cheltenham, and Gloucester
Independent Railway' is best calculated to promote and
secure those desirable objects ; and that the projecvd
line termed the Cheltenham and Oxford,' diverging as
a mere branch from the Oxford, Worcester, and ‘Volver-
hataanton Railway, at or near Shipton-under-Wychwood,
would be most inimical to the interests of the town and
neighbourhood, by diverting instead of restoring the an-
cient traffic, and moreover effectually destroying all poi
sibility of future advantages by extension and branches
from termini, which a main trunk line offers, while it
would increase the distance betwecn Witney and Ox-
ford, and Cheltenham also."
MR. WARRINGTON seconded the resolution, which was
carried unanimously.
A committee was then formed to confer with the Com-
pany, in favour of which the resolution was pasTrd, con-
sisting of the following gentlemen :—Mr. J. W. Clench,
Mr. John Early, sen.,e'Mr. Edward Early, fir. William
Dutton, Mr. Warrington, Mr. J. Clinch, Mr. D. Westell,
and Mr. Bateman.
A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the busi•
ness of the day.

STATISTICS OF THE SESSION.
On Friday a return was issued, occupying 14 closely
printed pages, giving a list of 218 Bills for Railways
before Parliament during the past session, together with
the proceedings upon each, consisting of the date of
petition presented, of first, second, and third readings,
and of receiving the royal assent. From an analysis, it
appears that 218 Bills have passed, or partially passed,
through these processes this session.
All these appear to have been read a first time, with
the exception of the following 36, which only presented
petitions, and were thrown out before the standing
orders :—Birkenhead, Manchester, and Cheshire ; Bir-
mingham and Gloucester Railway Acts tkmendment,
Bristol and Gloucester, Bristol and Gloucester and Bir-
mingham and Gloucester ; Chester, Manchester, and
Liverpool Junction ; Charnet Valley, Direct Northern,
Direct Northern (Lincoln to York), Diss and Col-
chester Junction, East Dereham and Norwich, Eastern
Union and Bury St. Edmund's, EAstern Union and
Norwich, ditto and Harwich, Harwich, Harwich and
Eastern Counties Junction, Hull and Gains-
borough, Liverpool and Manchester, North Union,
Bolton and Leigh and Kenyon and Leigh Amalga-
mation ; Liverpool, Orinskirk, and Preston ; Liverpool,
Ormakirk and Preston (Skelmersdale) ; London acid Bir-
mingham, London and Brighton (Dorking Branch), ditto
Horsham Branch, ditto Wandsworth Branch, London
and Croydon (Kentish Lines), London and South
Western (Epsom Branch), Manchester and Buxton,
Midland (birmingham and Gloucester and Bristol and
Gloucester), Portariington and Tullamore, Shrewsbury
and Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Grand Junction,
South-Eastern, ditto Lewisham to Tonbridge and Pad-
dock Wood Branch, Staines and Richmond, Sunder.