The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-05-03 00:00:00

CHESTER_ AND CREWE RAILWAY.

The half yearly meeting of the proprietors of stock, was
held on Wednesday week, at the Royal Hotel, Chester. It
was but thinly attended.
Our attention on entering the room was attracted to the
sections on a large scale of the rival projects for the Anglo-
Irish Railway, the one from Shrewsbury to Portdynllaen in
Carnarvonshire, and the other from the Chester terminus of
the Chester and Crewe Railway to Holyhead. These have
been prepared from careful and minute surveys made under
the personal superintendence of George Stephenson, Esq.,
who in respect to the first, has followed the line recommended
by Mr. Vignoles in the report of the Irish railway commis-
sioners. The sections being in junta-position on the same
sheets, and on a large scale, set forth the difficulties—we
might say the impossibilities of the interior line terminating
at Portdynllaen, and the remarkable facilities of the coast
line from Chester to Holyhead : the first having to cross deep
valleys, ascend mighty mountains, and tunnel for miles
through the worst possible •materials, the inclinations and
curves being the worst possible for a line of railway : whilst
the last is nearly a dead sea level all the way, easy to be at-
tained, and cheap to make. It will be seen from the follow-
ing statement of the proceedings, that a supplementary re-
port from Mr. Stepenson will appear in the course of a few
days.

On the motion of Mr. WARDELL, JOHN UNIACKE, Esq.,
Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Mayor of Chester,
was called upon to preside.
The Chairman then called upon Mr. Kelsall, the Law
Clerk, to read the report of the Directors and the Engineers :

DIRECTORS' REPORT.

" The directors beg to report the half-yearly meeting of
the proprietors, that the contracts for the whole of the works
on the line are let to responsible contractors, that the works
are proceeding in a satisfactory manner, as will be seen by a
reference to the report of the engineers ; and that it is in-
tended that the line shall be opened to the public before May,
1840, at which time the Birkenhead railway will also be
opened.

" The directors regret that a considerable balance is due
on the calls. The works cannot be carried on with vigor un-
less these arrears are immediately paid, and the future calls
promptly answered, and it is only justice to those shareholders
who have paid their instalments punctually, that those who
have neglected to do so, should be compelled to pay them
without further delay.
" The directors therefore have resolved to take legal pro-
ceedings forthwith, against such proprietors as are in arrears.
" The directors are desirous that the shareholders should
give them their sanction at the meeting, for taking loans to
the extent allowed by their act of parliament.
" In their last report the directors alluded to the probabi-
lity of a line of railway being made from Chester to Holy-
head, since which their conviction is still stronger that all
parties interested ib the matter will insist on the shortest
and quickest mode of travelling being adopted between the
capitals of England and Ireland.

" The directors requested Mr. Stephenson to make a sur-
vey and section of the line from Chester to Holyhead, and
that from Shrewsbury to Porthdynllaen, and to report on
both. They are happy to say that, after very minute inves-
tigation, Mr. Stephenson's opinion is decidedly in favour of
the Holyhead line, so much so, that he declares that it is an
easy and cheap line to construct, and with unusually good
gradients, while the works on the other would be attended
with so much difficulty, and cost such an enormous sum, as
would render it very unadvisable, if not impracticable, to
undertake it, and that the gradients are excessively bad and
cannot be improved.

" The chamber of commerce in Dublin, who reports to
government on all great works connected with Ireland, have
memorialized in favour of the Holyhead line, and the direc-
tors have no doubt that when the comparative sections of the
two lines, which are before this meeting, with Mr. Stephen-
son's report and estimate, are laid before government and the
legislature, the line from Chester to Holyhead must be pre-
ferred and adopted. The directors feel they have been con-
sulting the best interests of the proprietors by using the most
strenuous efforts to bring about this object.
" The directors are happy to say that the requisite notices
have been given for a railway from Ruabon to Chester, which,
as well as the Great Holyhead, is to terminate at this com-
pany's station in Chester.
" The accounts up to the 30th of March last, are laid on
the table for the inspection of the proprietors. Agreeably
with the provisions of the company's act, three of the direc-
tors have been ballotted out, viz., Messrs. Uniacke, Clemi-
son, and Frost, who are eligible to be re-elected."

ENGINEERS' REPORT.

" To the Directors of the Chester and Crewe Railway Com-

pang.
" GENTLEMEN,—We have to report to you that consider-
able progress has been made in the works along the line
since our last report of the Bth November.
" Upon the Waverton contract, there were executed in
the four months ending the Ist March, 105,000 cube yards
of earthworth, leaving 212,000 yards yet to be done. This
rate of progress gives upon the average of the four months
26,250 yards per month, and eight months as the time in
which the whole may be completed. Two bridges are finished.
And the contractors are now making bricks to be employed
in the aqueduct under the Ellesmere canal, and other bridges
upon this division. In a short time a considerable length of
permanent way will be laid, and the works are proceeding in
a satisfactory manner.

" The middle contracts, the Bunbury and Wardle com-
mencing at the termination of the Waverton and extending
to the commencement of the Crewe division, a distance of
ten miles, were let on the 25th of February, to Messrs.
Jackson and Bean, upon terms that have fully justified the
expectations which we held out' to you ; not only as regards
their lightness, but also the time in which they could be com-
pleted. They have already commenced very vigorously upon
both lengths ; upon the former with the piling of the Bee-
ston valley bridges, and the formation of the railway upon
the south side of them, and upon the middle division with
the Cholmondeston embankment. These are their heaviest
works.

" Upon the Crewe contract the works have as yet pro-
ceeded but slowly, partly from the contractor not having been
put in possession of the land, and partly from the material
being such as to prevent its being worked in bad weather.
" They have, however, nearly completed the embankment
up to the Grand Junction Railway, • and the cutting to the
west of it will be through in a few weeks. The contractor
has been up to the present time engaged in waggoning clay
down to the Weaver, for the purpose of making bricks for
the viaduct; but he is now teeming from 500 to 700 yards
per day into the embankment, and as there are only 50,000
yards to pass over this (the west) face, it may be completed
in four months, preparations have been made, and the mate-
rials will be moved from the Grand Junction embankment
to prosecute more actively the works'at the valley. The
whole quantity of earthwork executed to the Ist April, was
42,500 yards, and about three miles of the line have been
fenced.

" The permanent workshops for building and repairing
the carriages and waggons are in a state of considerable for-
wardness.—We are, gentlemen, your most obedient servants,
GEO. STEPHENSON.
MURRAY GLADSTONE."

Receipts and Disbursements to March 31st, 1839.

RECEIPTS.

S. D.
Amount received on account of ca 115.... 74705 0 0
Ditto forinterest from Bankers and Share-

holders
Ditto for land resold

495 12 4
80 0 0

£75280 12 4

PAYMENTS.

Parliamentary agents counsel, witnesses,

&c.
Solicitors
Engineering 2981 18 4
Surveying..
Printing, advertising, stationery 448 16 10
Deputations, travelling expenses; &c 726 19 3
Direction
Salaries
Rent of offices and furniture, for ditto.. 142 1 9
Land and compensation..
Works under contract..
Sleepers, chairs, &c. llO4 13 4
Coach building 1562 19 4
Agents in London, Liverpool, and Man-
chester
Petty cash, parcels, postage, &c. iBs 1 11
Advanced to the Great Hoyhead Railway
Company
Cash in Bankers' hands

£7528012 4

On the motion of JOHN WHITE, Esq., seconded by Mr.
JOHN SMITH, the reports, &c. were adopted, and directed to
be distributed amongst the shareholders,
The CHAIRMAN then stated that the retiring Directors
were himself, Captain Clemison, and Mr. Frost, who were
eligible for re-election. On the motion of JOHN ROGERS,
Esq., they were unanimously re-elected.
The CHAIRMAN then alluded to that part of the report
respecting the raising money by loan, and on the motion of
Mr. JOHN SMITH, it was unanimously resolved that the Di-
rectors should have the power to raise the required sum as
directed by the act.
The CHAIRMAN then stated, that from a communication
he had received, it appeared that a clause had been introdu-
ced into the London and Birmingham i ailway bill now before
parliament for the purpose of creating new stock, compelling
the new shares to be brought out in the public share market ;
thus depriving the old shareholders, who had vested every-
thing in the undertaking, of that proper option they ought to
have of accepting or rejecting them ; and also having a ten-
dency to depreciate the value of the original shares in the
market. The company proposed making an effort to get that
clause rejected on bringing up the report. He had prepared
a petition against the clause, which he thought it desirable
the Chester and Crewe railway proprietors should adopt ; as
the principle sought to be established was monstrous. He
then read a petition on the subject.
. Ilowns yid it wgj both unjust andrrtial. No such
q as 4,0
North Midland, though the acts were also for the creation of
additional shares.

Mr. WARDELL, in proposing the adoption of the petition,
said that he did so, not only as a shareholder in the Chester
and Crewe line, but also in the London and Birmingham.
The clause was extremely unjust to the original shareholders,
who had run all the risk, and received no interest for five
years ; and now the legislature, without even the pretence of
protecting the public, proposed that the new shares should
be at the disposal of parties who had incurred no risk at all.
The original proprietors had run all chances, and ought to
have all the advantages. If the project had been unsuccess-
ful, who would have compensated them ? He considered the
insertion of the clause in question as an additional attempt on
the part of the aristocracy to cripple the mercantile and
trading interests. (Hear.) He most cordially proposed the
petition for adoption, and that it be sent to the city members
for presentation.

The Rev. JAS. FoLmorr seconded it, and it was unani-
mously adopted.

At the suggestion of the Chairman, the meeting.voted an
annual subscription of £5 5s to the Chester Infirmary.

GREAT HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.

The CHAIRMAN then, in allusion toiVe'Cl;ester and Ho-
lyhead survey, and the sections of the contending projects
exhibited in the rooms, said the proprietors, and in fact the
citizens of Chester, were deeply indebted to Mr. Stephenson
for the attention and labour he had bestowed on this subject.
It was quite impossible for every person not to be struck by
a mere glance at the sections of the two lines, at the great
capabilities of the Holyhead line, and the impracticabilities
of the Shrewsbury and Portdynllaen line. The first was
evidently easy and cheap to make : the last almost impossi-
ble, and the worst that could by any possibility be selected.
He should feel obliged, and so would all present, to hear any
statement that Mr. Stephenson had to make respecting what
Mr. Vignoles was pleased to call the difficulties of their line.
Mr. GEO. STEPHENSON then said, that he had great plea-
sure in responding to the chairman's call, as now he had
more substantial materials on which to give an opinion than
before, and which,enabled him to confirm his former report
as to the great facilities for making a railway from Chester
to Holyhead, and the utter impracticability of the Shrews-
bury line. He had now had the benefit of a most minute
survey ; whereas before, so far as the coast line was con-
cerned, he had only an ocular survey. With respect to the
Shrewsbury line, he had followed the survey and data in the
report of, the Irish railway commissioners. He was, how-
ever, then perfectly convinced of the great and almost insur-
mountable difficulties of the line recommended by Mr. Vig-
noles, and the practicability of the Chester and Holyhead
line. His report had been criticised as too severe ; and he
had been told that his survey was incomplete and partial.
Now, however, he was able to meet that objection. A com-
plete engineering survey had been made of both lines under

his direction ; therefore he could speak with more certainty
and force ; and he did not hesitate to say, that the interior
or Shrewsbury line was not practicable, whilst the Chester
and Holyhead line was the easiest to make that he had ever
been concerned in. (Hear.) The sections were before them,
and they did not require the eye of an engineer to carry con-
viction as to the truth of what he asserted. Those sections
proved the facilities of the Holyhead line ; and that the Port-
dynllaen and Shrewsbury was a line such as never was at-
tempted by man in either this or any other country. The
sections, however, only shewed the levels and inclinations.
In his report, which would be ready in a few days, he should
prove, that to get even the present difficult line from Shrews-
bury to Portdynllaen, the curves were such as shewed that
the country was not even in that respect adapted for railway
purposes. He did not feel it necessary to go into matters of
detail. The sections were before them—one section display-
ing a mountainous country, such as never yet was attempted
to be traversed by a railway ; and the other shewing almost
a level water line. (Hear.)
Mr. WARDELL expressed the gratification of the directors,
and, in fact, of the meeting, at the satisfactory statement
made by Mr. Stephenson ' • and said that it was satisfactory
to the projectors of the Chester and Holyhead line, that it
would not only be of local advantage, but also of national
benefit. He bore his testimony to the zeal and ability dis-
played by Mr. Stephenson on all occasions, where the inte-
rests of Chester and of the railways connected with it were
concerned. He uniformly attended all the meetings where
he could be of use; and when requested to visit Dublin on
behalf of the Chester and Holyhead project, he put off some
very important engagtments, in order that he might do so.
The knowledge that he was there caused the adverse party to
change their counsels, and instead of going into the merits of
the contending lines as originally proposed, the promoters of
that meeting, fearing Mr. Stephenson's talent, high charac-
ter, and the weight any statement he might make would have
with the meeting, contented themselves with merely petition-
ing the legislature on the general question. Nevertheless,
Mr. Stephenson was deserving of their best thanks for the
zeal he had shown. (Hear.)
Mr. T. DIXON seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously.
Mr. STEPHENSON said that he felt pleasure that his labours
had given satisfaction. He entered into the Chester and
Holyhead project warmly, because he thought it one of a na-
tional character, and that it would be highly beneficial to all
parties concerned in it. He did not become connected with
it on any other principle, because he would take care that
his name did not appear to any project unlesg he was con-
vinced that it was of utility, and that good would come out
of it. (Hear.)
Mr. WHITE said, he thought the thanks of the Chester
and Crewe proprietary were due to the *Directors for their
exertions to forward the Chester and Holyhead line ; and on
his motion a resolution to that effect was carried unanimously.

RUABON AND CHESTER RAILWAY.

Mr. EDGEWORTH, of Mrexham, solicitor to the Ruabon
and Chester Railway ,then stated that the parliamentary notices
had all been given, and every thing was ready for going to
parliament in the next session. Little or no opposition was
anticipated, to the bill ; and he had no doubt but it would be
obtained in the next session. The importance of the Ruabon
mineral district was daily becoming more apparent.
Mr. STEPHENSON said he had no 'previous idea of the
extent of the Ruabon coal field, and the excellence of the
coal. The projected railway he consideied would be highly
remunerative ; and certainly most beneficial, not only to the
neighbourhood, but to Chester and this railway. The coke
produced from Ruabon coal was of the very best quality—
superior to most in use. He believed that it would come
into very general use, not only on this line, but also on the
Grand Junction and other railways. The coke made from
the coal got near Harecastle, was full of sulphur, which was
injurious to the engines. It was sufficient for him that iron
was made by the Ruabon coke ; and that convinced him that
it was well adapted for the use of locomotive engines. He
believed there would be a considerable traffic in coke alone
on the Chester and Crewe line. He concluded by saying,
that if there were no persons about Ruabon, capable of
opening out properly and working its coal fields, that he would
do it for them—(a laugh.)
The thanks of the meeting were then unanimously voted
to the directory for their past services ; and also to the
chairman for his able conduct that day ; and the meeting
separated.