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

SOUTH MIDLAND JUNCTION.

On Tuesday afternoon a numerous and influential meeting
of the inhabitants of Woodstock and its vicinity was held at
the Town-hall, Mr. J. T. Palmer, Mayor, in the chair,
amongst whom we noticed B. Holloway, Esq., W. Turner,
Esq., W. Hunt, Esq., E. Cole, Esq., Captain Dewes, H. Smith,
Esq., H. North, Esq., and Messrs. M. G. Kirby, W. Norris,
T. Higgins, G. Shuffery, W. Morris, H. Morris, W. Eder,
&c., for the purpose of receiving a deputation from the
London Committee of the South and Midlands Junction
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. Cole, Esq., M'Murdo, Esq., and W. B. James, Req.
Mr. SHUFFERY 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
most cordially should propose this resolution—
" That it is highly desirable that a railway communication
should be brought toWoodstock, and that it shall be as direct
as the nature of the country will admit of."
Mr. KIRBY had great satisfaction in recommending 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-
moters 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 of re-
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 been intended that they should have hail 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 intercourse 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 at Didcot
the other at Rugby.—(Hear, hear). The line will then pro-
ceed to the manufacturing town of Whitney, where a com-
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,
ISatit, 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 pecu-
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 be 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. MORRIS 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 represeutatives of the borough, be re-
quested to snpport the same."—(Cheers.)