The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-16 00:00:00

REPORT

The Directors have great sattsfaction in meeting the pro-
prietors on this occasion, both on account of the estimation
the undertaking is now justly held in by the public, and also
from the satisfactory progress of the works, which will be
seen by a reference to the report of the engineer. The two
most important contracts, viz. the Waverton and the Crewe,
have been taken by Mr. Brassey, whose works on other lines
have given such great satisfaction.
't he remaining contracts contain light work only, and will
be advertised early next year; and the Directors calculate
that the line will be completed by the first of March, 1840.
In the purchase of land for the undertaking, the Directors
have endeavoured on all occasions to come to an amicable
arrangement with the owners; in most instances they have
been successful, but in a few they have bad recourse to the
decision of a jury, and the result has proved the necessity of
that proceeding.
The Directors have purchased a field admirably situated
for the Station and Workshops, and the building of the lat-
ter will be commenced immediately.
The Directors bave now in their employment a number of
workmen constructingiCarriages, &c., under the direction of
a coachmaker who has been ten years in the employ of the
Manchester and Liverpool Company, and who gives them
entire satisfaction. The requisite number of Engines are or-
dered and being made for the use of the company.
The Directors have considered that it would be highly
advantageous to the company to extend the line to the river
Dee; and for this purpose the requisite Notice will be
given for an application to Parliament to make such ex-
tension.

The Directors think that they are justified in asserting
that the present position and future prospects of the Chester
and Crewe Railway Company, are such as to give the pro-
prietors and the public the fullest confidence in the success
of the undertaking.
The Directors cannot conclude their report, without refer-
ence to the company which has been formed for the extension
of the Crewe Railway to the Potteries, by a junction with
the Manchester and Birmingham Railway at the Harecastle
Tunnel. This, they have reason to believe, is the best line
that could have been formed in this direction, as the Hare-
castle Tunnel pierces the rising ground which they believe
would be a serious objection to the formation of any other
line.

This undertaking has received the *arm and unanimous
co-operation of the bankers, manufacturers, and others, in-
terested in the trade of the l'otteries. Two surveys have
been made by the company's engineer, Mr. Stephenson—
one before the company was formed, and one within a very
short period. In adopting the first line it was thought judi-
cious to include branches to two coal fields laying several
miles wide of the line. It was considered that these branches
(which would have consisted of only a pair of rails) would
have amply repaid the expense of constructing them; it was
for this reason that the estimate given in the prospectus was
taken for a much larger amount than would have been
necessary for the line alone. Further consideration has led
to another survey; and by that Mr. Stephenson has selected
another line, the estimate for which, including a branch to
the Grand Junction Railway, amounts to £llO,OOO.
It might, perhaps, have been better that an explanation,
sheaving the reason that so large an estimate was required,
had accompanied the prospectus.
The Directors think it unnecessary to point out to the
Shareholders the great importance this natural extension of
their line will be to the Chester and Crewe Railway.
The Directors have the satisfaction to say, that they have
good grounds for hoping that a line of Railway will be adopted
from Chester to Holyhead, a measure so imperiously called
for to facilitate the intercourse between England and Ireland.
Several influential Landowners in North Wales have taken
up the matter warmly, and will meet with the active co-ope-
ration of the inhabitants of Chester and the Directors of this
line.

The accounts of the Company to the 29th September are
placed on the table, for the inspection of the Shareholders,
and will be published with this report if approved and adopted.
J. UN lACKE, Chairman.

The report of Murray Gladstone, Esq„ the acting engineer,
was next read. We make the following' extract from it :
" The Waverton Contract, let to Mr. Thomas Brassey, at
£56,500, embraces a distance of six miles and four-fifths: it
comprises 392,500 cube yards of excavation, an aqueduct,
three turnpike road bridges, three public road bridges, and
seven occupation road bridges. The Bunhury Contract is
five miles and 30 chains, and includes 260,000 yards of earth-
work, one turnpike road bridge, four public road bridges, and
one bridge crossing the canal. The length of the Wardle Con-
tract is four miles 61 chains : it contains 204,0(X) yards of ex-
cavation, one turnpike, and' three public road bridges, and
one bridge over the Middlewich Branch Canal. The Crewe
Contract, let to Mr. T. Brassey, at £36,973, is four miles two
chains long, requires 292,500 cube yards of earth to be moved,
one turnpike and three public road bridges, four occupation
road bridges, and one bridge over the river Weaver. In the
coach-building department the utmost activity is shown, and
several bodies of the first"-class carriages are in hand.

Mr. R. L. Junes, Treasurer to theZompanv,—reati a state-
ment of the accounts, from which it appears that the receipts
and disbursements of the company, up to Sept. 20, 1838,
were—

RECEIPTS.
Amount received on account of calls
Amount received for interest from sbarehold
ers and bankers £233 9 8
Less Commission, &c. £29 5 11

204 3 9

£31,414 3 9

PAYMENTS.

Parliamentary's agents' counsel )
£2559 16 11
Parliamentary fees, witnesses, &c.
Solicitors obtaining the bill 1221 7 0
Engineering
Surveying
Printing, stationery, advertising
Travelling expenses, deputations
Salaries 554 8 6
Rent of offices 2O 14 9
Furniture for offices
Land
Works
Coach building

Petty cash, carriage of parcels, postage, &c.

41 12 4

16,348 2 5
Cash in banker's hands

£31,444 3 9
Mr. White moved the adoption of the report, and that it
be printed.
E. D. Davenport. Esq., asked what were the gradients
between Crew and the Manchester and Birmingham Bail-
way ? _

Mr. Gladstone replied, they were about one in two hun-
dred for the greater part of the distance, and one in a hundred
nearer the junction of the Manchester and Birmingham.
Mr. Davenport asked whether the difficulty could be over-
come ?

Mr. Gladstone replied that there was no difficulty—,the line
was an exceedingly cheap one; and much worse inclinations
were worked on the Leicester Railway, which paid seven per
cent. _ _ _ _

Mr. Wardell observed that he thought it devolved upon
him to notice their present prospects. The line from Crewe
to Harecastle would open to them an extensive field of com-
mercial intercourse in the great manufacturing districts of
the Potteries and elsewhere; and this project has received
the sanction and support of the most influential individuals
in Staffordshire, and in the district through which it passed.
The contemplated short line (not a mile in length) from the
Company's station through the city to the river, was of mist
importance, especially in the inhabitants of Chester, as it
would materially promote the commercial prosperity of the
city, as vessels could discharge their lading, which might
then be immediately placed on waggons, and atonce proceed
to their destination. Another project which the directors
bore in mind was the formation of a Railway from Chester,
through North Wales, to Holyhead ;—thus at once making
this city the medium of transit between England and Ireland
—through which goods and passengers from London, Bir-
mingham, Manchester, and all the mercantile districts, would
pass to the Sister Kingdom. From the demonstrations made
at the recent public meeting at Bangor, and by the most in-
fluential gentlemen in North Wales, it was most probable,
that the latter project would be immediately taken up; and•
it was intended that the line should pass close by the Great
Ormeshead, and proceed on to Holyhead. In conclusion,
Iklr. Wardell observed that the Director of the Chester and
Crewe Railway in all their acts had not merely paid attention
to their own interests, but also to those of the public; and he
congratulated the meeting on the great success which had
hitherto attended their exertions.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

MANCHESTER-TCESDAY EVENING.

THE DERBY.—The leading favourites maintain pretty
firmly their position. There are takers of any thing above
10 to I on Lord Jersey's colt : that figure was, however,
offered to-day. Westonian has been backed for a trifle at
16 to 1, and Lord Lichfield's colt by Sir Hercules, out of
Gulnare, at 25 to I. There has been ati inquiry after Flam-
beau within the last day or two, but parties do not seem dis-
posed to lay the odds-18 to I. It would appear that they
tolrow suit with the Newmarket gentry, and book him the
finest horse there. So, indeed, in his day was Prince Paul ;
but he did nut win the Derby Stakes. Ilderim, by Emilius
or Ishmael, out of Filagree, seems, since Saturday. to have
been more fancied than any other. About a rouieau has
been laid out in pretty good quarters at 20 to 1 ; Mr. Allen's
(of Malton) br c Fitzambo,by The Saddler or Tramp, goes
to Mr. Marson's stables at Newmarket; like many others, he
now bears a high name for size, point, &c.; he seems to be
backed more freely at Tattersall's, which may fetch him up
here to 27 to 1. Algiers and Accelerator are within two
points or so of the same figure. Epidaurus (backed in the
Heaton Park Races at 22 to I) is offered against freely at
25 to 1, take five points more. We do not hear Bloomsbury
named, and several others at present lack friends. This,
however, may be expected, as even the Londoners are not
always disposed to come out.