The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-16 00:00:00

TEE SUN, LONDON,

MOI4DAI EVENING, 16, 1845,

. ,
BIDEFORD AND TAVISTOCK T. B. CHANTER, Esq., the Mayor, took the chair shortly
rp after two o'clock, and commenced the proceedings by stating
RAILWAY.—IMPORTANT MEETING AT that he, as mayor, had convened the meeting; in consequence
OKEHAMPTON, DEVON. of a numerously signed requisition, which had been presented
On Saturday, the 7th instant, an influential and inportant to him to that effect, to take into consideration the vital and
meeting was held at the Guildhall, Okehampton. The meeting important subject of the formation of railway communication
was convened by the Mayor, in pursuance of a requisition signed with that town and port. It was neither his place nor pur-
ls), the Rev. Bouchier Wrey :Saville, the vicar of the parish, and pose to offer any particular opinion on either of the schemes
about fifty of the principal landowners and inhabitants, to the of railways that might be submitted to the meeting; at the
following effect :—" We, the undersigned, request you will same time, however, he might remark, he understood that one
convene a public meeting of the inhabitants of the town and proposed line of railway would be put before the meeting, on
neighbourhood of Okehampton, as soon as possible, to take the merits of which they bad already more than once expressed
into consideration the proposed line of railway communication a favourable opinion; viz., the project of the Bideford and
between Bideford and Tavistock via Okehampton, in which Tavistock Railway Company, which company had in view the
both public and local interest are most deeply involved." construction of a line from that town, by way of Torrington,
Shortly after three o'clock the chair was taken by Hatherleigh, and Okehampton, to Tavistock.
HA
HULL TERRELL, Esq., solicitor to the Company, then rose,
the proceedings
gEscithe the
notice
t Mayor,ic,e
Callingw h who
he commenced
meeting.
and said that the Directors of the Bideford and Tavistock
MILLET,
He added that a deputation from London was in attendance to
NiBAL C.
by 111
reading
in
Company had appointed a deputation to attend the meeting
lay before the meeting their views on the important scheme of held this day to state the advantages of their intended railway
constructing a railway from Bideford to Tavistock, and which to the port of Bideford. The Bideford and Launceston line
it was intended should pass by way of Okehampton. was a gomparatively short line, and was inconvenient to the
HULL TERRELL, solicitor to the company, then rose and inhabitants of Bideford, as it would carry them a round-
said that he had the honour of appearing before the meeting about course on their way to Plymouth. Secondly, a Bide-
as one of the deputation from the direction, which deputation ford and Tavistock line, but not floe line he. had the honour
consisted of Mr. Tooke, one of the directorse, and Mr. Rice to advocate, This also would be inconvenieritly eircuitpes i
Hopkins, one of the engineers to the coneteeny. Their object it would omit Okehampton and other towns, and wild use
was to lav before the meeting the nature and adventages of the through a barren, and, therefore, poorly populated district,
intend While, and to obtain its approbation. The company did and would benefit none but a fear iiheFe6o4 3F4wner3, who
not need their money, as applications had already been made
bad deviled a scheme which they bad not yet ventured to IV
from parties whose references had been tested for shares ex- ii n.on paper,—( Cheers.) Thirdly, the North Devon line, from
Creditonr to .lierestaple: this hail been mesmerised by the
ccoeemdpinagay,hreeewaa timeshapthpey ntoumaabye:
hadto
Board of Trade into *deep sleep, and was yet asleep) and
support, not only frem local landowners, but from capitalists, in would probably never awake,—(Cheers.) Fourthly, the
already Blotted.
received The present
abundant
other parts, so that no doubt could remain as to tha ultimate Bideford and Bampton line. This ,did net interfere with the
success of the present company.—(Hear, and cheers.) Mr. Bideford and Tavistock Railway; it was projected by the
Terrell then read the following : 13ristol and Exeter Corapaey ; it would Afford facilities in
" The objects of this undertaking are to unite the Bristol . passing to London, and he hoped it would pay. Fifthly,
with the English Channel, and to afford a direct, speedy, and there was the Great West of England. fie !sad seep the
cheap communication between the three centres of population prospectus of this scheme for the first time that daY; it WaS 4
in Devonshire, viz., of Bideford and Barnstaple, with their worthless paper prqeet s the Board of Trade had already re-
neighbourhood, containing 40,000 inhabitants, on the north ; ported spinet its ornwali line as iteteragtiC4)le, and he bad
of Plymouth and Devonport, including in their environs 100,000 it from authority that amongst the few birectorsi names
people, on the south ; and of Exeter, with its suburbs number-
ing 50,000 residents, on the east ; and to supply to the inhabi- two bad been printed without permission. _(Hear, hear. )
And then, as to the South Devon ere they disposed to work
tants of the districts through which the lines of railway will for you as friends ?—( Hear, bear.) On the pentrery, their
pass the advantages of manure, coals, and general merchandise, conduct was at best suspicious ; they had * Bill before Parlie-
at an immense reduction of cost, and the means of conveying meat for a branch from Tavistock to Launceston; and what
their agricultural produce, timber, and other goods to the best could be the &Pits of sugh a branch? Even if it came on to
markets. Bideford, it would be running in a circle ; but something more
" The railway is intended to commence at the town and port was to be feared. Suppose it should run On to CAftleVo4l,
of Bideford, and to proceed by the town of Okehampton to the searching after the north of Cornwall traffic it would there
borough of Tavistock, where it is to communicate with the find, which would alone lead to the port of Padstow, and thus
branch of the South Devon Railway, which is to be made from half the traffic would be direeted from BidefOrd and conferred
Plymouth, and for which a Bill is now before Parliament. A on Padstow.
branch will connect the populous and flourishing borough of R. Hoexiss, Esq., one of the engineers of the Bideford
Barnstaple with the main line, and another branch will pass and Tavistock Railway Company, then rose and observed, that
from the main line through Bow, and join the Exeter and Cre-
after the at le and lucid address of his Learned Friend, in
diton line at Crediton. The length a the main line will be which he had so fully explained the position and objects of the
about 4`2 miles, and of the branches elaont IS ' miles, making Bideford and Tavistock Railway Company, little remained for
together 65 miles. him to say, except briefly to describe the line of railway pro.
Estimates of the traffic have been prepared by competent posed to be constructed, and to advert to some of its peculiar
parties, and the result is, that after allowing a deduction of 40 advantages. He then described the railway. The Iloard of
per cent. for the working expenses, the net returns are calcu- Directors was composed of gentlemen of high standing in the
lated to amount to more than six per cent. per annum on the railway world ; nearly all of them being Directors fn ether
required capital, without taking into account several future companies, and several of them bankers and merchants iit the
sources of income which the railway will create. city of London.—( Cheers.)
" The great importance of this railway to the landholders T. H. Tooxs, Esq., one of the Directors, then rose. He
and general population in the central parts of the county said that he attended at the immediate wish, of the Board of
through which the line will pass will appear from the fact that Direction, and he saw very plainly that the reason they had for
the price of lime will be reduced to them 40 per cent., and it wes 4 good one ; it was because they felt that enough was
of coal 50 per cent. not known of this line. He hail the pleasure of explaining
" The local population which would be benefited by the con• the character and some of the details of the line, in private, to
struction of this railway exceeds 300,000 persons. the Mayor, and he (the Mayor) was pleased to say that he did
" The country through which this line of railway will pass is not think that a plan or line could be devised
more to the
peculiarly favourable in an engineering point of view for its benefit of that town—(The Mayor signified his assent),—
construction. (Cheers.) He was happy to see, from the crowded state of
" Power is intended to be reserved in the Act of Parliament, the meeting, that the town was fully alive to the importance of
which is to be obtained for making this railway, to allow inte- railway intercourse. The same spirit had been shown wherever
rest on the deposits and calls paid on the shares, at the rate of the deputation had gone.
four per cent. per annum, until the opening of the whole line. CHARLES CsaTas, Esq., of Bideford, said, having heard
No subscriber will be liable beyond the amount of his shares. the statement of the deputation, he had very great pleasure in
" This being a county line, it has been resolved that not moving the first resolution, which was—" That this meeting,
amongst than 6,000 shares of the Company should be distributed having heard the deputation from the Bideford and Tavistock"
amongst applicants who are Shareholders of the following Railway Company, expresses its approval of the line promoted
lines—viz.,
by that Company, and its conviction that this line passing
The Bristol and Exeter
The South Devon 2,500 at Crediton, and another towards Plymouth at Tavistock, will
The Exeter and Crediton
And the Barnstaple and Taw Vale
He would now allude to a few points of special note requiring ,
eanze ROOKUt, Eiq., seconded the resolution.
the attention of the meeting. In the first place the line was
in a certain sense perfect, as a county line—uniting the nor-
thern,inofhappy southern, and eastern parts, and it was so extensive as
railway,
connecting that
and he was town and Plymouth,
ee way of
to be entitled to an independent standing. In the second Okehampton;
place the direction consisted entirely of London shareholders, this line had been most cordially received by the inhabitants of
many of whom had been, and still were, directors of other Okehampton, and by the landowners along the line.
lines, and, having served their apprenticeship, were equal to W. 0, Cooxx, Esq., surgeon, of Bideford, said he was so
their present work.—( Cheers.) Messrs. Rice and Thomas entirely satisfied with the explanations which had been given
Hopkins, having on two or three previous occasions surveyed
that he was not only prepared to vote for the resolution, but
the districts through which the proposed line would run, their also to avail himself, if possible, of a personal interest in the
ability was known, and had secured the confidence of the undertaking.
county.—( Hear, and cheers.) They would be assisted by Sir Mr. PA LLA RD, merchant of Bideford, among other facts in
favour of the proposed line, stated, that annually there was
John M'Neill, as consulting engineer, whose previous know-
consumed, in the immediate neighbourhood of Okehamptoe,
ledge of the county will make his co-operation peculiarly ad- not less than 10,000 tons of come and large quantities of
vantageous. In the fourth place, there was no fear that
the present company would be in the same tied predicament as coal, iron, and other goods, imported at Bideford ; and these
much by the fact-
Ituantitieswould, he believed, be increased •
its predecessors. Funds had been abundantly supplied, lilies which the railroad would afford.. Another source of. an
and no applications for shares had been attended to except •
increase of traffic to that part, resulting from the formation
from parties of undoubted respectability. (Hear, hear.) of the proposed railway would, he believed, arise from uan
Before concluding, he would trouble the meeting by calling ti
of copper and other ores from the neighbourhood. ofilLysl:
its attention to one other subject—viz., the relation which this
ford being shipped at Bideford for Wales, instead of being line bore to other lines in the county. As it respected the
Crediton and Exeter, and South Devon and Tavistock, the taken into Cornwall for that purpose as heretofore. Alto
ether he thought it one of the best tines; indeed, for the n
intended line would benefit both, as it would join them and -ry, the only line that could be constructed with a chance of
and Barnstaple would not, if carried out, interfere with this
noun-
carry traffic on to both. The proposed line between Taunton
making a return for the outlay of capital.—( Cheers. )
The resolution was now put from the chair, and unanimously
company—it would afford a convenient line for the inhabitants
ado led.
ado
as Evans, Esq., shipowner, Bideford, moved the f
or,
from Barnstaple and Bideford on their way to London, and
lowing resolution :—." This meeting pledges itself to further,
prevent any competing line with the present, either in a line
tiribßhyioedseetvfeo countyrr every means
support maeonafdn
inps T in
Devon
i r
st
.1 its
oi a
be
eok
ewnetr requested
Company,h e object b j
to
aoc t
and
iytandthat
aundertaking
thethe
s a m same
theiro
membersf
ut ht
for...e
from Barnstaple to Tiverton, or Bat nstaple to Crediton, which
latter line, however (North Devon line), may be considered
as already defunct. (Hear, hear:) The Great Western
Company had no intention of proposing a line.
Rica Horiciws, Esq., one of the engineers to the corn-
T After some further observations from Mr. Evans, Mr.
Tooke, others, the resolution was again put to the pany—lt is with feelings of peculiar pleasure that I rise to
meet-
address this meeting, because I believe that the great object
ins, sad avnote unanimouslyo thanks to
which has been so long desired by the inhabitants of this
the Mayor for calling the meeting, and
town and neighbourhood, and for which this meeting is now
assembled, is in a fair train towards its accomplishment.
for his conduct in the chair, moved by Mr. Tooke, was
Money is no longer wanting; but it is most desirable, in then adopted.
order to obtain the necessary powers for constructing the
railway, that the promoters should be able to show
to Parliament that the project is supported by
parties who have an interest in the district. I
happy to state that the lines proposed possess no pe-
culiar engineering difficulties. Only two short tunnels (each
about a quarter of a mile in length) are necessary, and the ex-
cavations and embankments required are much under the usual
average of railways in general. The gradients are also fa-
vourable, and there will be no plane which cannot be worked
by an ordinary locomotive engine. Estimates of the probable
traffic have been made, and the result is highly satisfactory.
A line, connecting not only the whole of the north with the
south of Devon, but several towns of the north with Exeter,
the metropolis of the county, and passing through such an im-
portant agricultural district, requiring such large supplies of
manure as this railway only can afford, cannot fail to yield a
large return to the shareholders. The advantages of this rail-
way to the agriculturists and other inhabitants of the neigh-
bourhood will be immense. In the centre of the district lime
will be reduced in price 40 per cent., and coals 50 per cent. ;
agricultural produce and merchandise in general will be con-
veyed at less than one-fourth the present expense of conveyance.
Thus not only will money be saved, but the resources of the
country will be more fully developed, and all classes, including
landlords, tenants, and labourers, will participate in the
benefits.—( Hear, hear.)
The Rev. BOUCHIER WRIT SAVILLE, vicar of Okehamp-
ton, -said he had been requested to move a resolution, which
by the permission of the meeting he would now read; it was
as follows :—" That this meeting having duly considered
the prospectus of the Bideford and Tavistock Railway Com-
pany, and having heard with pleasure the addresses of a depu-
tation from the company, is of opinion that the construction of
the proposed line of railway from Bideford to Tavistock, with
branches to Barnstaple and Crediton, is calculated to promote
in a high degree the interests of the county of Devon in
general, and of this town and the surrounding district in par-
ticular, and is therefore deserving of the warmest support, and
that therefore the meeting pledges itself to assist, by every
means in its power, the accomplishment of this undertaking,
and that the members for the county of Devon be earnestly re-
quested to support the same in Parliament."—( Cheers.) After
the very full and satisfactory statements made by the gentle-
men of the deputation, he thought he was warranted in asking
the meeting to adopt the resolution he had just read.—( Hear,
and cheers.) For his own part, he could not but feel that the
formation of the proposed railway would be attended with very
great advantage to all persons residing either in the town or
neighbourhood, and therefore he felt desirous that the com-
pany should have every encouragement. He had examined
the line as marked out by the engineer, and had it explained
to him, and for his own part he did not conceive that any line
could be marked out that would more conduce to the interests
of that town.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.) One of the prin.
cipal landowners of the district (Albany Saville, Esq.) had
signified his approval of this line.—( Hear, and cheers.) The
Rev. Gentleman concluded his speech with advising all farmers,
landowners, tradesmen, and others interested in the neighbour-
hood, at once to make application for shares.
H. Comeste, Esq., of Okehampton, in seconding the reso-
lution, said the formation of the proposed railway would be an
immense advantage to the inhabitants of this town and neigh-
bourhood, whether engaged in agricultural or mercantile pur-
suits, whether landowners, farmers, or labourers, whether en-
gaged in business or not. He recommended all interested in
the prosperity of the town and neighbourhood to make at once
applications for shares, and thereby convince the Parliament
and the country that the line was one deserving of support.
HENRY HAWSES, Esq., Okehampton, raid, before putting
the resolution to the meeting, he should like to make an ob-
servation or two. He had the honour to represent the inte-
rest of the Rev. John Luxmoore, who, next to Mr. Saville,
was, he believed, the largest landowner in the neighbourhood;
and he had great pleasure in saying this undertaking had the
hearty and liberal concurrence of that gentleman. From in-
terviews which he had had with some other landowners on the
line between this town and Torrington, he further had the
pleasure to assure the deputation that they were also not
merely favourable to, but most desirous that this undertaking
should succeed.

CAUSEWAY BETWEEN MAHIM
AND BANDORA.
(From the British Indian Gentleman's Gazette, April 10.)
The Causeway between Mahim and Bandora was
opened on last Tuesday evening, in a manner which did
honour not only to the founder of that most useful struc-
ture, but to the inhabitants of Bombay.
From an early hour the roads leading to Mahim were
thronged with vehicles, in which the natives of every de-
scription hastened to the neighbourhood of the cause-
way, and soon after three o'clock the carriages of the
Europeans and wealthy inhabitants began to appear.
From that hour the way to ~:ahim presented a most
animated appearance. The villages through the Toddy
tree groves of Mahim were swarming with spectators at
the long line of carriages of every description which '
passed on before them.
The arrangements made by the police were excellent;
constables were stationed at different barriers to keep
the order required. At half-past four o'clock the car-
riages were drawn up in line from the end of the ap-
proach to the causeway, to the termination of the tow).
They were stationed on the side of the road so as to
allow those to pass on which were to take the lead in the

procession.
At half-past four o'clock the Hon. the Governor's
carriage came to the grand entrance of Parell Palace,
and the Governor and Sir Jarnsetjee Jejeebhoy, Knight,
entered it, the latter having the seat of honour at the
Governor's right hand. Escorted by the Lancers and
followed by the aide-de-camps, and the staff of the
garrison, &c. &c., they proceeded to Mahim, a distance
of nearly three miles.
At five o'clock they approached the Causeway, and the
procession began from the front of Mahim Church, in
the following order:—
The Engineer Officer who constructed the Causeway,
Captain Cruikshank, who was represented by Captain
Marriott.

The Establishment of the Engineer.
The first part of the Lancers.
The Governor's Band.
The lion. the Governor's carritme.
Captain Arthur, the Governor's Private Secretary on
the one side, and Cursetjee Jamsetjee, Esq., on the
left, with many other gentlemen on horseback.
The personal retinue of the Hon. the Governor.
The carriages followed in single line of the Commander-
in-Chief; of the Members of Council, of the Secre-
taries, ofermsoannges
many Civil h
l servants, of
oftthtehis islandStaff,and. of the
leading
A party of Lancers closed the procession.
A triumphal arch was erected at each entrance of the
Causeway, and as the procession moved along it the
coup MI d' 'I was magnificent. The bells of the church
rang a merry peal. The groups that thronged around
the sides of the way leading to the entrance in their
white dresses, gave an air of splendour to the whole view.
The great length of the procession, the moving spectacle
around, the calm and beautiful expanse of water on bo''„
sides of the Causeway ; the triumphal arches of the
Mahina and Bandora entrances, the splendid pavilion
erected under the well-known large tree OR the Ban_
dora shore, require not to be described,
When the head of the procession reached the centre
of the Causeway a royal salute was fired from four guns
stationed on the Salsette sands, under the command of
Captain Unvvin.
The Causeway was adorned with flags at regular dis-
tances, and about 150 seats were placed on the footways
for the benefit of the pedestrians. It was satisfactory to
behold the arrangements thus made for the convenience
oflanlltehle dassevsv.eiii
llgshouse of the chief native officer of
Bandora (Comavisador), and near the pavillion, Lady
Jamsetjee, with her family, bad taken their station, and
on alighting from their carriages the Hon. the Governor
and all the leading members of the company and their
ladies there proceeded to offer to her Ladyship their
congratulations on the completion of the Causeway.
At six o'clock the last a the carriages arrived at the
pavilion, when refreshments were prepared in the most
sumptuous style. It was a beautiful sight to see the pa-
norama in the pavilion, where the ladies of Bombay, the
members of the Government, and the secretaries and
the civil servants, the number of officers, military, medical,
and naval ; of the gentlemen of the bar, of the mercan-
tile houses, &c. &e., all seemed pleased on witnessing the
public ceremony of opening the Causeway from Mahim
to Bandora.
At half-past six o'clock Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy stood
at the head of the table, when the lion. the Governor,
Sir George Arthur, supported by Sir T. M‘Mahon, the
Conimander-in• Chief, the members of Council, &c., ad-
dressed him in the following manner :
(i Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy,—lt gives me great pleasure
to address you on this occasion, after having passed over
the noble Causeway which through the munificence of
your family, haa heen erected for the benfit of the public.
f myself, as well as every one present, can bear testimony
to the value of this splendid and most useful work. It af-
fords me, therefore, high gratification to address you, for
I have to speak on a subject which is interesting to us
all—to every one now present—and its interest is best
proved by this numerous assembly. As the exact cir-
cumstances under which this Causeway has been con-
structed may not be known to all the company, I shall
give a short explanatory history of the undertaking.
Some years ago the Government of this Presidency, see-
ing the advantages of a regular communication between
the 41ancis 01104114 y and Salsette, and being anxious

The resolution was now put by the Mayor, and unanimously
adopted by the meeting.
T. R. Tooxx, Esq., one of the Directors, then rose and
said—Having been deputed by the Board of Directors to re•
present them, he begged to confirm, as far as they needed
any confirmation, the statements made by the solicitor and
engineer of the Company. He could assure the meeting that
this was a solid and substantial undertaking, not set on foot in
the spirit of mad speculation, but for the purpose of giving the
benefit of railway communication to this important district of
the country.-4 Hear, hear.) As the meeting had already
heard, the number of shares that the Directors had to allot had
been applied for three times over, and the allotments would be
made, to the best of their belief, to bona fide applicants, to per.
sons seeking for investment, not to mere speculators. This
was not a paper line, but if duly supported, as by promises of
the landowners there was every reason to expect, they might
depend upon the railway being carried through, and the inesti-
mable benefits of railway communication conferred upon the
neighbourhood. They had been recommended by the vicar to
take their one, and two, and three shares, and he could assure
them, from his own personal knowledge, that the Board of
Directors would be glad to attend to any such application. The
strength of all railway proprietaries lay in holders of ten and
twenty shares.—( Hear, hear.) It was not in a spirit of specu-
lation that this railway was offered to them, but for purposes of
solid investment.

The vote of thanks was seconded, and carried by accla
oration.

The Mayon briefly acknowledged the vote, and the meet-
ing then separated shortly after five o'clock.
NORTH DEVON RAILWAYS.—THE BIDEFORD
AND TAVISTOCK RAILWAY.—IMPORTANT PUB-
LIC MEETING AT BIDEFORD.
BIDEFORD, 1119NDAT.
On Tuesday, the 10th instant, a public meeting, convened
ky the Mayor, in pursuance of a requisition, was held in the
Town Hall, Bideford, "to take iota consideration the interest
of the district relative to the several projected lines of railway
dto this port, and for adopting such measures as might be
Q ,411,24150 Thp meeting was numerous and
. .