Star.
London, England, 1824-12-20 00:00:00

KENTISH RAILWAY COMPANY.
CAPITAL—ONE MILLION,
In Ten Thousand Shares of XlOO each.

LONDON DIRECTORS.
Sin JAMES COCKBURN, BART. CHAIRMAN.
SAMUEL BAKER, EVA. ALDERMAN (RocuzaTak), DIIPUTT
CHAIRMAN.,
S. B. M. Barrett, Esq. M.P. George Magnus, Esq.
Captain F. T. Buller. William Newman, Esq.
Samuel Baker, Esq. Ald. Sir Charles Price, Bart.
(Rochester). Samuel Page, Esq.
Sir James Cockburn, Bart. Matthew Russel, Esq. M.P.
J. Campbell, Esq. Hon. Col. G. A. C. Stapylton.
A. Crombie, LL.D. Sir John Sewell, Ent. LL.D.
Janses,Faden, Esq. R. Smith, Esq.
John Gray, Esq. Lieut.-Colonel R. Turrens, R.M.
Peter Moore, Esq. M.P. F. R.S.

AUDITORS.
Ebenezer Fertile, Esq. I Richard Heale, Esq.
Charles Mahon, Esq.
TREASURERS.
Messrs. Kay, Price, Alarryst, and Coleman.
Messrs. Cockburn rind Co.
Ettorazza.—Thomas Telford, Esq.
'esteem" or Woaes.—James Faden, Fag.
STAMPING Connsze.—William Harrison, Esq.
Souctroes.—Messrs. Wilts and Verbeke.
Szcarrees.— Mr. Geo.Varlo. I Accouswer.— Mr. Henry T. R yde.
THE application of Steam to loco-niotive and sta-
tionary Machines, for the conveyance of passengers and goods,
will give a new and extraordinary impulse to the industry of this
country. Reducing the cost of transporting and exchanging com-
modities has an effect upon Agriculture and Manufactures pre-
cisely analogous to that which would be pfeiduced by improving the
quality of the soil, or increasing the skill and tnetgy of the workmen.
In no part of the country will the benefits reaching front the im-
proved mode of conveyance be more conspicuous than in Kent ;
although to Loco-motive Machines this Company will not 'confine
its operations, but will, in addition thereto, make use of the assist-
ance of horses. Upon the greater part of the proposed line,
the traffic is already immense. Along the Great Kent Road,
the farm-produce of a fertile and highly cultivated county, espe-
cially in Hops, is conveyed to the London Market, and all the va-
rious commodities required for the consumption of the County are
returned in exchange. By the same line, immense quantities of
Lime and Bricks are brought to the Metropolis; the communica-
tions with the great Naval and Military Depots are kept up ; and
the intercourse between England and the Continent of Europe
carried on.
The quantity of goods, including Naval and Military Stores for
the great Government Depots of Deptford, Woolwich, and Chat-
ham, which pass upon the line which it is proposed that the Rail-
way shall take up, cannot be ascertained with sufficient precision to
form the basis of an accurate calculation. But upon this line there
are minor and incidental sources of advantage, which, being sus-
ceptible of calculation, may be compared with the expense of con-
structing the Railway, so as to give a definite idea of one portion
of the profits of the undertaking.
According to the estimate of experienced engineers, the expense
of a Railway ought to be £5,000 per mile: but let it be supposed
that it may require £lO,OOO per mile to lay down a Railway
between London and Woolwich, and that the first portion of capital
advanced will be £lOO,OOO. The number of short coaches running
upon this line is 150 per diem. Admitting that on the average
these coaches are only half filled, their receipts for passengers alone
will be 626,000 per annum. As loco-motive machines, moving
with twice the velocity,' and with greeter safety, must in a very
great degree supersede the coaches, the Company will probably ob-
tain from passengers alone, independently of the luggage, an income
of £20,000, or £2O per Cent. upon the capital of £lOO,OOO, requi-
site to carry the Railway to Woolwich.
Between Woolwich, Greenwich, Deptford, and London, one hun-
dred waggons and carts pass daily, some of them three or four times
per day. From Greenwich, passage and luggage boats go every
half-hour : from Woolwich, luggage vessels, of considerable bur-
then, go daily. The loco-motive machines, running in half the
time, and at less expense, and not subject to delays and dangers
from the state of the weather, will necessarily supersede almost all
these modes of conveyance, and in the best sense of the term, mo-
nopolize the whole carrying trade, including the transport of naval
and military stores, between London, Deptford, Greenwich, and
Woolwich.
At the very lowest calculation the profits arising front all these j
sources will be equal to that arising from the passengers, who now
go by the coaches, and will raise the return upon the capital of
£lOO,OOO, required in laying down the Railway as fat as Woolwich,
to 40 per cent. Thus, even were the undertaking to terminate at
Woolwich, it would prove a most beneficial investment.
From Woolwich to Gravesend, along the level ucder Belvedere,
there are no buildings to interfere, and the expense of the Railway
could not exceed £5,000 per mile. The distance being thirteen
miles, the Capital required for this Section of the undertaking will
be about £65,000. It would be superfluous to go into calculations
to prove, that in consequence of greater expedition and cheapness,
j the carriage of the passengers and goods now conveyed between
Gravesend and London by coaches, waggons, steam-vessels, and
hop, would be transferred to the Railway, and would yield upon
this portion of the Capital a large return. Though the ordinary
commercial intercourse between these places would yield the Com-
pany an ample profit, yet this profit appears as nothing when com-
pared with that arising front a source which the Railway would it-
self create.
Ott the Coals landed below Gravesend, the London Port duties
are not paid. As soon as the Railway reaches this point, the seve-
ral Towns upon the Railway, aqd all the surrounding neighbour-
hood, will be supplied with coals by lesui-carringe. The saving to
the public will be must important, and the advantage to the Com-
pany immense.
Front Gravesend to Stroud, a distance of eight or nine miles, the
ground bet:ware less favourable; and the Railway might require
£l,OOO per mile, or a capital of .4.70,000. There the Railway
would communicate with the populous towns of Rochester and
Chatham, and, by a branch, with Maidstone and the iuteriot of the
country, to Tunbridge, and the Wealds of Kent.
This branch,indeed, is of the first importance, since coals, which
now cost 30s. at Rochesteri are sold in the imedor of the county at
double that sum; but if the proposed Railway be carried into
effect, the sante article would be sold at a price not exceeding
from 40$. to 458. The conveyance to and front these places, of
coals unburthemed with the London duties, of farm produce,
especially of hops, of manufactured colonial and foreign goods,
cannot fail to yield on this portion of the Company's capital,
a very high return. But to this section of the Railway there is an
incidental advantage, which, as it is capable of being demonstrated
by figures, will serve to give a more precise Idea of the vast import-
ance of t 11; present undertaking.
Between London and Rochester twelve coaches pass daily, which,
supposing that on the average they are half filled, produce, by pas-
sengers only, £34,000 per annum. Thus the present coach passtn-
gets alone, supposing luggage and parcels to pay the expenses of the
loco-motive machine, would yield a profit of 40 per Cent. on the
capital of £70,000 required to carry the Rail from Gravesend to
Stroud.
The Railway passing through Faversham to Canterbury, and nn
to Dover and to Sandwich, should the Harbour be opened, will
give to the city of Canterbury the advantages of a double Port;
While it will render Faversham and Sandwich, and particularly
Dover, the depots of a most valuable foreign trade. To Faver-
sham the measure will also be of great value, since the Harbour is
excellent ; and during the coming Session a Bill, of which notice
has already been -given, to improve that Port, will probably be
passed through Patliament. Branches of the Railway to Margate
and Ramsgate, in addition to the profit arising from the carriage
Of ;11 hinds of goods, will secure a considerable incidental advan-
tage, by conveying more rapidly, more securely, more punctually,
and mote economically than the Steam-vessels, the various classes
of visitors who frequent these places for amusement or health. •
The cheap and rapid communication about to be established, will
give an incalculable impulse to the property Of Kent, and confer
the most important advantages on all its Inhabitants: evety article
which they do not produce, they will be enabled to buy cheaper; and
every article which they do produce, they will be able to sell more
pide,use,geoutly. Its home trade sejth London, and ite foielgu teade

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