The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-10 00:00:00

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.

A meeting of the Proprietors of the Eastern
Counties Railway was held yesterday at the London
Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of con-
sidering the extension of lines in connexion with
the main line of the Company, and for aking into consi-
deration several proposals for the purpose of increas-
ing the traffic of the line.
In consequence of the illness of Mr. Bosanquet, the
Chairman of the Board of Directors,
Mr. RATHBONE, the Deputy-Chairman, filled his
place, and said, on taking the chair, that he would
not at that time occupy the time of the meeting with
any remarks, but would reserve himself till questions
were put requiring an explanation. He would only
mention that on that morning they had seen Mr.
Hudson, and he was happy to be able to inform the
meeting that the Cambridge and Lincoln Company
had come to an arrangement, the principles of which
were satisfactory to the Eastern Counties Railway.
—(Hear.) He would now call upon the Secretary to
read the report.
The Secretary then read the report, which was a
very voluminous document, proposing several exten-
sions, and large discretionary powers for the Di-
rectors.
There were four resolutions proposed in confor-
mity with the report, and asking for a large discre-
tionary power to be vested in the hands of the Di-
rectors.
Mr. 11. V. LEE proposed the adoption of the re•
port and the three first resolutions. He said that the
present was a most critical period for the Company,
and strongly recommended unanimity amongst
themselves. He apologised for coming forward so
early as be did, but he thought it right to do so, as he
had between 4,000 and 5,000 proxies in his
pocket, and he was surrounded by several
other persons who held a far larger number, who
were prepared to vote the same way with them. He
was also a large Proprietor, and, that being thecase, he
thought he was justified in calling upon them for the
adoption of the report and resolutions. He owned he
was also a proprietor in other railways ; but he stood
there as an Eastern Counties proprietor, and he ad-
vised others, who may have other interests likewise,
to consider that they were there as Eastern
Counties proprietors. The Hon. Proprietor then dis-
cussed the merits of the lines between Newport, Cam-
bridge, Ely, and Brandon, the line from Hertford to
Biggles wade, and the other proposed lines, and said
that, with regard to each of them, the Directors had
exercised a sound jadgment, and he had, therefore,
great pleasure in moving the adoption of the report
and resolutions.
Mr. SMITH seconded the motion.

Mr. COBBOLD said that before the motion was put,
he wished to say a few words. Though a Direc-
tor of the Eastern Unio❑ Railway, he stood there as
a proprietor of the Eastern Counties Railway. Mr.
Cobbold then went on to complain of a most important
communication having been made by the Directors of
the Eastern Countie3 Railway to the Directors of the
Eastern Union Railway, without allowing any suffi-
cient time for its consideration,. _

The Secretary was then called on to read the c-)r-
-respondence which had taken place, as the best answer
to ➢ir. Cobbold. _ .

_
The report and resolutions were then put and car-
ried unanimously, with acclamation.
Mr. ESDALB said it was understood, and the agree-
ment had it so, that the Thames Junction line was to
be paid for by debentures at a period of twenty
years. He now wished to know why there was a de-
parture from that agreement?
Mr. BIDDER said that he was the first who thought
of that line, and the original agreement was, that the
payment should be either by debentures or money.
Mr. EsDALE said he had the printed report, and
that mentioned debentures only. The amount was
only small, to be sure, but he confessed he did not
feel satisfied.
The CHAIRMAN said they felt they were indebted
to Mr. Bidder and his family for their exertions with
regard to this line, and perhaps they had, on that
account, departed from the strict letter of the ar-
rangement.—(hear, hear.)
The resloutions were then put and carried.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY said that the report contained
most important propositions, and he believed that
they had not time to consider any one of them fully.
However, after it had been adopted unanimously, he
thought it would not be profitable to revert to it
again. He thought they ought to have appointed a
Committee of five or seven Shareholders to deliberate
on the important propositions contained in the report.
At the same time, he admitted that this was a crisis
in ter affairs.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that all
the ectations entertained by the Directors might
turn out to he correct, but if so, he believed it would
be owing rather to their good fortune than to their
sound judgment. He was afraid the only persons
who were to be really envied were the lawyers and

Parliamentary agent;, for the Company v:rere now
required to support six lines, to oppose six lines, and
to countenance two others. He thought the Chair-
man of the Eastern Railway had just grounds of
complaint that sufficient time was not allowed that
Company to answer the proposition made by this
Company, though he could not say much for the
calmness with which they had replied to that pro-
position. He thought it right not to oppose the
report, but he begged to guard himself as being un-
derstood to sanction it.
Mr. WARD, M.P., said that if the Proprietors had
not confidence in the Board of Directors, what they
ought to do would be to turn thetn out at once. If
everything useful done by the Directors was to be
ascribed to their good fortune, and not to their sound
judgment; and if, after all their exertions for the last
nine months, the result was, that tEey had placed the
York and London line on no more advantageous foot.
ing than if they had done nothing at all, in that case
the best course would be not to appoint a Committee,
but to cashier the Directors at once.--(Thar, hear.)
He would acquiesce in that course if he concurred in
the statements made by his Hon. Friend. But he did
not do so. He thought the meeting were fully com-
petent to decide on the propositions submitted to them.
It was necessary for the Directors to have large
powers, to be enabled to go before the Board of Trade
and Parliament with the proper weight and authority ;
and if they acted with cordiality and unanimity, he
did not see how their propositions could be refused.
After some further observations by Mr. Atkinson,
Mr. Cobbold, and Mr. Kinnaird, a vote of thanks was
passed to the Chairman and Directors, after which
the meeting separated.

LONDON AND BRIGHTON
RAILWAY.

A special general meeting of the Proprietors of
the London and Brighton Railway was held yester-
day, at one o'clock, at the London terminus, London-
bridge, to consider a report and resolutions, which it
was stated by the call of the meeting were to be sub.
mitted to them. Captain Kelly was in the chair.
The SECRETARY (Mr. C. R. Mackenzie), being
called by the Chairman, read the notice of the meet-
ing, which was specially called to consider the ques-
tion of applying to Parliament for powers to form
three branch lines from the main line, at three seve-
ral points, of which the following is a description :
" The first branch commences near the Three
Bridges Station, and proceeds through Crawley to
Horsham : the length of it is nearly eight miles and a
half, and the estimated expense is 94,035/. The se-
cond branch commences near Redstone Hill, and
runs through Reigate and Bletchingly, to Dorking :
the length of it is seven miles and a quarter. For
this branch two alternative lines have been deposited
—the one avoiding the town of Reigate altogether,
the estimate for which is 102,364/. ; and the other
going through the centre of it, the estimate for
which is 109,734/. The third branch commences
near the station at Croydon, and runs through
Streatham and Tooting, joining the South-Western
Railway, in the parish of Wandsworth : it is six
miles and a half long, and the estimated expense is
119,1911."
The CHAIRMAN, having offered to read the report
at length, which was negatived, inasmuch as it had
been circulated among the Proprietors previous to
the meeting, then said he had to avail himself of their
indulgence while he repudiated the ungenerous and
unworthy imputations that had been cast on the
Directors of this Company by a gentleman who pre-
sided at a meeting held in that room on Thursday
last. At that meeting he was said to have stated
that they (the Directors) were actuated by a feeling
of pique towards his Company. He begged it to be
distinctly understood that in all their actions and
all their dealings they had been actuated but by one
feeling--a desire to promote the interests of the Pro-
prietors—(Hear, hear)—and the accommodation of
the public with which he conceived those interests
were identical. Within the last week there
had also been a very unworthy resolu-
tion agreed to by a body of persons
who met in the town of Leeds, wherein the Directors
of this Company were accused of a profligate expen-
diture of the money of the Proprietors. He should
not trust himself to give utterance of what he felt
with respect to this accusation, but would leave it en-
tirely to the judgment of the Proprietors themselves.
—(Hear, hear.) They would now proceed to the
business before them. The first part of that business
was to bring before them the consideration of three
short branch lines, extending from their own line at
certain points. It was well known what excitement
had pervaded the railway world during the last five
or six months, and the Directors were quite alive to
the necessity of protecting the interests of the Com-
pany. They considered it necessary that these short
branch lines should be thrown out, as outworks for
the protection of their property, and to prevent it from
being invaded. The Chairman then descriloed these
lines (as above stated), and went into a minute
detail of the advantages that would arise frtan a ter-
minus or termini at the west-end of Londlon, which
great desideratum would be afforded by aweeing to