The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-31 00:00:00

RAILWAY IN TELLIGENCE.

LONDON, NEWBURY, AND BATH DIRECT (KENNET

AND AVON COMPANY).

SWINDON, TUESDAY.—A meeting of the proprietors of the Kennet
and Avon Canal Company and projected London, Newbury, and
Bath Direct Railway, took place this afternoon, at the Queen's
Hotel, Swindon station of the Great Western Railway, pursuant to
requisition, for the purpose of receiving, considering, and deter-
mining the course to be taken with regard to a report intended to
be laid before them as to the propriety of adopting the suggestion
of Mr. Walker, the engineer, to construct the proposed London,
Newbury, and Bath Direct Railway, so as to maintain the naviga-
tion, and to take such steps with regard to the present position of
the undertaking as should seem desirable.
T. R. Wino, Esq., in the absence of Admiral Dundas, M.P,.
the Chairman of the Company, was called on to preside. He said
the subject they had met to consider was one of the greatest interest
to the western counties, and he sincerely regretted the absence of
their excellent Chairman, Admiral Dundas, who was compelled to
leave England for the Continent, owing to the serious illness of
Mrs. Dundas. The purposes for which they had assemlled were
to consider the report of a committee on the suggestion of Mr.
Walker, the engineer, with reference to the construction of the
London, Newbury, and Bath Direct Railway, and at the same time
to preserve the navigation of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Al
the report contained the principal topics which would have to be
discussed, it would be unnecessary for him to offer any comments
upon the subject.
Mr. MECCIMAN then read the following report :

" The Select Sub-Committee appointed by the Committee of Ma.
nagement of the affairs and business of the Company of rroprie.
tors of the Kennet and Avon Canal Navigation, at the meeting at
Marlborough, on the 15th of July last, beg to report to the pro.
proprietors at large—

That since the special meeting of the proprietors, which was
held at Reading, on the '26th of August last, your Committee
have been making arrangements to apply to Parliament in the en-
suing session for powers to carry into effect the instructions of that
meeting. With this view, the Committee have offered to the pro-
prietors of shares in the Kennet and Avon Canal two new shares
of 151. each in respect of every old share, and the Committee have
the gratification of stating that this option has in almost all cases
been accepted. Your Committee have also by the issue of such
shares as were declined by the proprietary, an by means of the
small number which remained at the disposal of your Committee,
after allowing two shares for each one old Kennet and Avon share,
raised a capital sufficient for the purposes contemplated.
" Your Committee beg further to report that Mr. James Walker,
the consulting engineer of the Company, has made a report, in
which he recommends that the line of the canal should not be de.
stroyed, but that the water way should be preserved, and a railway
also made. Mr. Walker's ideas on this subject will be best under-
stood by the following extract from his report, viz.:—' In saying
that the width of your property is sufficient for two lines of rail.
way, I have not had reference to the continuing of the canal nevi.
gation ; but I ought to add, that if it be thought on the whole ex-
pedient to continue the navigation, you have, by rough walling the
sides of the canal, sufficient width generally for two lines of
broad gauge, and a better canal than the present, inasmuch
as 11,ere is less friction in a walled canal than with sloping
sicl.7l. I cannot help considering that your coming before the
• public with the c:nal and railway is very important, both in oh-
vizting objections that may be made to the conversion of your canal
into a railway by other canal companies, or by canal carriers, or
'1):, the owners of warehouses and other property, and by being
practically useful afterwards ; for canals may not always remain at
their present discount, and there must be a reluctance at resolving
to destroy the substantial locks, aqueducts, and other works, which
within forty years have cost a million of money.'
" The Select Sub-Committee have carefuliy considered the rea.
sons given by the consulting engineer, and have, after much consi-
deration, unanimously come to the decision of recommending you
to adopt his suggestions as to the preservation of the canal, the ex-
pe.,e of which, Mr. Walker assures us, will not exceed the sum of
n 00,0001., authorised to be raised by the former meeting of Pro-
prietors.

" Your Committee have ascertained that, without any very large
additional expense, the curve• and gradients incident to pursuing
strictly the line of the canal may be improved, and ha►e instructed
the • igineer 11 to amend the line that the sharpest curve shall not
be less than thirty chains, ner the steepest gradient more than one
in eighty, whilst the distance between the termini will be also
shortened.

" The Select Sub-Committee beg further to report, that through_
•ut the line the undertaking has been well received, and that at a
very large meeting of the inhabitants of Devizes, held on the 9th
instant, a resolution was passed to the effect, that the project
of this company would be highly beneficial to that important town.
Your Select sub-Committee beg further to state that they have
had propositior s from several new companies for an amalgamation
of interests, or for the conditional purchase of the canal, but it has
not appeared to your C, m nittee desirable to make such arrange-
ments.

" Your Committee deem it right to mention that,'as precautionary
measures, Instructions have been given for the surveys of lines of
railway t-Jr eastern and western extension.

" Your Committee have the pleasure to inform you that the sur-
veys are in such a satisfactory state of forwardness, and such an
amount of deposits, already in the hands of the bankers, as will en.
able your Committee to comply with the standing orders of Parlia-
ment.

" Your Committee cannot conclude this report without congratu-
lating the proprietors on the position of their undertaking."
Resolutions were then moved and carried for the adoption of the
recommendations •f the report, and the meeting broke up.