The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-22 00:00:00

TRENT VALLEY RAILWAY.

MANCHESTER, SATuRDAY.—The first meeting of this Company was
held to-day at the Townhall. The meeting was made special, to
consider the expediency of empowering the Directors to apply to Par-
liament in the ensuing session to make arrangements with the North
Staffordshire Company, also to enable them to make extension
lines, &c.
Shortly after ten o'clock Mr. EDWARD TooTAE, Vice-President of
the Board of Directors, took the chair, and expressed the satisfaction
it afforded him at being able to congratulate the shareholders on the
satisfactory and prosperous state of affairs, and of the prospect before
them, amounting to a certainty, of completing a project which would
result, not only in large benefit to the shareholders, but prove most
advantageous to the public.
Captain Cx.EATuEa, the Secretary, then read the report of the
Directors, which stated that the measures by which the powers and
privileges of the Company were conferred, received the royal assent
in July last ; that the Directors since then had been engaged in com-
pleting the arrangements for the formal constitution of the Com-
pany, and an active prosecution of the works upon the line. That a
contract had been entered into with Messrs. Brassey, IWKenzie, and
Stephenson, for the formation and completion of the entire line of
railway, for public use, for the sum of 611,6191., the Company pro-
viding rails and chairs, and the contractors being paid extra for such
stations and sidings as may hereafter be found necessary. That the
Directors had reason to be satisfied as well with the terms of the
contract as with the position and character of the parties contract-
ing. That it was also gratifying to have had, in this important step,
the sanction and concurrence of the London and Birmingham
Company, which, under existing circumstances, was mainly
affected. That the Directors had been in negotiation with the
North Staffordshire Company, with a view to a limited parti-
cipation by the Trent Company in that undertaking, and that
the outline of an arrangement had some time since been agreed
to, whereby this Company became entitled to a share interest to the
extent of 300,0001. in the North Staffordshire Company. That the
precise mode of effecting this arrangement had not been determined.
but that the Directors would ask of this meeting for powers to adjust
it in the way which should eventually appear most beneficial. That
the Directors had alsO considered the expediency of making a line
eastward, but so many competing interests were at present in
the field, that they had as yet been unable to determine whether •
the interests of this Company would be best served by under-
taking any such extension, or by leaving the ground to
be occupied by other, though, of course, not hostile parties.
That the Directors would continue to give their best attention
to this subject ; seeking from the Proprietors now a discre-
tionary power of action, when all the plans affecting the
district should be fully before them. That the shareholders should
bear in mind that in proportion to the vigour of action by the con-
tractors for the work, would be the necessity for early and regular
calls for capital ; that it was therefore intended to make a first call of
31. per share on an early day, and to require its payment not later
than the Ist of November next : the other calls would follow, the re-
spective dates and amount of which would be regulated by the neces-
sities of the company on the one hand, and on the other by the con-
venience of the shareholders. That under the combined arrrange-
ment, settled by the deed of arrangement with the London and Bir-
mingham Company, the Grand Junction, and the Manchester and
Birmingham Company, and which was embodied in the act of . incor-
poration, the present Board of Directors retired, and the shareholders
should elect nine others, who were to continue in office six months.
The SECRETARY next read the engineers' report, which stated in
effect that the works were in rapid progress, and that he looked for-
ward to the speedy completion of the line, ke. The statement of the
receipts and disbursments followed, which showed a large balance lii
hand to the credit of the Company.
The reports having been adopted by the meeting, Messrs William
Birkett and John Ridgway were appointed auditors, and Mr. Blake
treasurer, and 5001. voted to Mr. Wheeler, their late secretary, as
remuneration for his services. Messrs. Edward Feel, Henry New-
bury, and Edward Tootal were elected Directors.
The meeting was then made special, and resolutions were adopted
empowering the Directors to enter into arrangements with the North
Staffordshire, and advance 300,0001. capital, and to apply for any ex-
tensions of the Trent Valley.
Thanks, on the motion of the Hon. Colonel Anson, seconded by
Captain CARNEGIE, were given to the Chairman and Directors Ibr
their services.
A public dinner was given in the evening' to Mr. Edward Toots!.
at which he was: presented with a service of silver plate, as sub-
stantial testimony from the shareholders of the Trent Valley
Company of the estimation in which they held his services in pro-,
moting the scheme, and bringing it to a successful issue. The enter-
tainment took place in the assembly room of the Albion Hotel.
and was attended by about 200 gentlemen, amongst whom were Lord
Viscount Duncannon, Hon. Col. ADSOR, M.P. ; Hon. Captain
Carnegie, M.P., Staffordshire; the Mayor of Manchester, the Mayor
of Salford, J. P. Westhead, Esq., &c. The banquet was in every
respect a splendid one, Mr. Westhead taking the chair.
Mr. TooTAE, in acknowledging the tribute paid him, spoke of the
strenuous opposition that the Trent Valley project met at every step.
from the outset to the last moment, despite all which it had at length
arrived at a successful issue.
The toasts which followed were—" The Mayor and Corporation Of
Manchester, who had contributed 34,0001. towards public improve-
ments ; " The Mayor of Salford;" " The Earl of Winchilsea, and the
landowners along the line."
To which the Hon. Colonel ANSON responded.
" The Army and Navy ;" which was acknowledged by the Hon.
Captain Gamete, who spoke in glowing terms of the value that
railways had proved in the facilities they afforded for the speedy
transit of troops to all parts of the country.

THE INCOME-TAX.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Knowing that your columns are always open to
the cries of the oppressed, and that you are always
ready and willing to render your assistance and to give
your advice to such as are sufferers by the conduct of
others, I venture to bring before your notice a case of
as great hardship and punishment as can well be accom-
plished under the Income-tax Act, except the one of
Messrs. Fielding, of Todmorden.
I have been a small manufacturer of hats in this place
for nt.-arly thirty years ; I have always fulfilled my en-
gagements during that period with punctuality. None
of my creditors have been paid less than twenty shillings
to the pound value, as my receipts will prove. I have,
with great care, industry, and frugality, raised a small
family, and also saved a little against old age. Never
did an execution from any of the courts of law enter my
house until the Bth instant, when the collector of income-
tax, with a police• officer, entered my warehouse, seized
and carried away five pieces of silk plush, of the value
of 401 and upwards, and in five days after they sold, by
public auction, so much of the silk plush as satisfied their
demands for a presumed income-tax upon my trade for
the year 1844, ending 1845—not upon a real income, but
upon their presumption of my income for that year.
Now, Sir, I did not receive the income. The Commis-
sioners have taxed me for that year ; consequently I re-
sisted the payment. If I had received the income, I
would have paid it on demand. I gave the Commissioner
an exact account in figures (as near as I could come)
but
my income for that year, and as no person
neive langgr-beat
myself knows what my income is,
hardship has been dealt out to
goods seized, car-
mmledion csurcharging me
above my statement; andnbaviengony y
b men that ought
tied away, and sold by public au
.ti
to protect me by securing to me just laws, administered
by just men, is, I conceive,case allor
svgrtehayt aan
place in
oppressiony
ar
any man can suffer.
If you consider this
our
valuable publication, you are at full liberty to make use
of all or any part of the same, as I trust my name and
address is a sufficient guarantee of its correctness.
Springfield, near Manchester, Sept. 15.
(Here follows the name of the writer, with his address.)

SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM READING IN BED.—One
of those accidents which we hare so often to record occurred yester-
day morning, shortly after one o'clock, to Mrs. Elizabeth Vernon, a
lady of independent fortune residing in Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-
square. For some considerable time past this lady has been labour-
ing under an attack of rheumatism, for which she was in the habit
of taking opiates to alleviate the pain, and was accustomed, upon re-
tiring to rest at night, to read in bed. About the hour stated the
female domestic, who slept in an adjoining room, was awakened by
strong smell of fire, and on proceeding to her mistress's chamber,
found the hangings of the bed enveloped in flames, and the unfortu-
nate lady in a state of insensibility. Assistance was promptly pro-
cured, and the fire extinguished ; but we are sorry to add, that not
before Mrs. Vernon, who is an aged lady, was severely, though not
dangerously burnt.
THE WILL FORGERS.—A letter has been lately
received from Barber, in which he states that his health is bad, and
that his rations and labour are bad and wretched. He devotes his
time to gathering geographical and historical information of the
island, and is writing the biography of extraordinary criminals, al-
though his leisure time is small, as he has to get up to work every
morning at four o'clock. He is employed giving instruction to the
sons of a clergyman, and is also engaged to conduct the defence of
some prisoners who attempted to escape from the boats of the ship
Agincourt, by suddenly seizing the guards and throwing them over-
board. Speoking of his fellow convict Fletcher, he says :—" He is
execrated by all, save the few extreme wretches who welcome all as
friends who are like themselves. There is not one of the free inha-
bitants by whom be is not regarded with abhorrence." Barber still
perseveres ha hie declaration of ineomme, and has gala fOrwarcisd
•
memorial Mr a remission of pluilahment.

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