The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-26 00:00:00

MR LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.

The following are the most important parts of the report pre-
sented at the first general meeting of proprietors of the Grand
Junction Railway, after the opening of the railway for the
conveyance of passengers, held at Liverpool on Wednesday the
17th instant. _

"The statement which the directors have to lay before the
proprietors, at the close of six months' operations, will, it is
hoped, be ound satisfactory and encouraging.
" During this period, the income has been exclusively derived
from the coaching business, which it was thought desirable to
render in the first place as complete as possible, and to smite
an abundance of engine power, before the carriage of goods was
audertaken. This is naw nearly accomplished; and measures
have been taken to commence the conveyance of live stock;
and the merchandise business between Liverpool, Manchester,
and Birmingham, will be begun immediately. This business
it is intended to bring gradually into operation,, and thus ensure
its effective and regular management.
"The gloss receipts obtained from passengers and parcels
only, and the conveyance of wails, have amounted to £116.740.
lOs. 7d. a result which must be highly gratifying. The scale
of expenditure cannot yet be completely tested, as applicable
to the business when once in full operation ; but there is reason
to anticipate, that it will be proportionably less than on shorter
lines.

"The additions which have been made to the engine power
have improved the regularity of the trains. In the arrival of
the first morning trains from Birmingham, some delays have
taken place, caused by their waitin* upwards of thirty minutes,
on the average, fog the London mails, which, for several weeks
past, have not been able to keep their appointed time into
Birmingham. With respect to the arrivals in general, although
there has been reason to regret many disappointments, arising
from various causes, some of which are removed, and others
greatly diminished, it is on the whole satisfactory to refer to
the fact, that of 1,600 first-class trains, 1,133 have kept time
accurately; 1,193 have not exceeded thirty minutes beyond the
exact time; and that, including all detentions whatever, the
average of the whole is only four hours forty-five minutes, which
is considerably less than one-half the time formerly occupied in
performing the distance.
"The state of the road is highly satisfactory;
the only casu-
alty worthy of remark having occured to some land arches in
Arpley embankment, near Warrington, which were carried
away in the unusually heavy flood of the 21st of December.
Fora few hours some delays were hereby occasioned; but no
stoppage was caused to the mails. and the communication was
restored on the following day. Considerable progress has been
made in re-laying the Warrington line with stronger rails, and
this great improvement will be completed in a few months.
" It is gratifying to observe, that not a single fatal accident
has occured to any of the '232,202 passengers conveyed by this
company since the opening ; and to know, that in case of acci-
dent, with the description of engine adopted on this line, the
risk to passengers is reduced to a degree hardly deserving of
consideration.
"Although the receipts from travelling have, of course. de-
clined during the winter quarter, the amount of business in
this period has been steady and profitable, and the ratio of de-
crease is less than might have been expected, from the experi-
ence of other railways. The directors have great pleasure in
again calling the attention of the shareholders to the circum-
stance, that of the large number of passengers conveyed along
the different pacts of the line, only about one-half pass through
any one township; thus showing the great proportion of short
fares and passengers from one station to another, which cannot
be abstracted by any opposing line.
"The arrangement with the frost office for the conveyance of
mails having been found, on trial, not to afford an adequate
compensation for the service performed, a new agreement has
lately been made, the terms of which increase considerably the
revenue from this source, without, however, exacting from the
post office unreasonable conditions.
"The accounts now laid before the meeting exhibit a clear
balance of profit to December the 31st, 1837, of £56,035 10s 10d
which will afford a dividend of £5 per share, leaving a surplus
of £l44s,—if this appropriation be sanctioned by the meeting.
The net profit for Sunday travelling amounts to six shillings
per share ; and the directors would recommend to the proprietors,
that any shareholders who may refuse to receive it shall be re-
quired to relinquish all claim to it afterwards, in order that it
may be appropriated to charitable purposes."
After stating the amount of money expended on "capital
account," £1,607,490 Hs 9d. and the necessity of raising fur-
ther funds, either by loans or the creation of new shares, in
order to pay off a balance due to the bankers, and to provide
additional facilities for carrying on the business of the com-
pany, on the opening of the London and Birmingham Rail-
way, the report proceeds to consider the question of a
new line of railway by Fidler's Ferry to Huyton, and says :
"Looking at the delay which at times have already occurred
to the trains, after leaving Newton, and to the accumulation of
business on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which must
ensue, on the commencement of the carriage of goods to and
from Birmingham, and on the opening of the North Union
Railway, it appears to be a most desirable object to secure a
communication free from the risk of impediment from the
crowded state of that line; and effecting a saving in time, dis-
tance, and the expense of workihg, by shortening the lineseven
miles, and by avoiding three inclined planes; and the crossing
of several roads unprotected by bridges. To avoid the risk of
delays from these causes is in itself, independently of any
other, a most important object, and the question appears to be,
only how it may be best effected. The directors are of opinion,
that the line by Fidler's Ferry would be found the best practi-
cable measure for this purpose. especially if an arrangement
could be made between the two companies, for an additional
line or lines to Liverpool, fiom the junction at H upon.
This plan, in the directors' opinion, would be mutually advan-
tagenus.
"Most of the landowners on the projected line have refused
their assent, except on terms to which the directors did not
think themselves justified in acceding; but they expect that,
taking into accounit the great public advantages of the measure,
and that it will not in a single instance interfere with a private
residence of any kind, their demands will not be sustained before
a committee of the House of Commons. Opposition may alio
be looked for from the town of Warrington ; ostensibly directed
against any interference with the navigation of the Mersey, but
in reality from an apprehension that the measure will deprive
them of part of the accommodation they now enjoy. It will be
for parliament to decide, whether this is a sufficient ground for
requiring that all Liverpool passengers, including those proceed-
ing by steam boats to Ireland and Scotland, shall be carried
round by the town of Warrington."

A few days ago, an old soldier, proceeding from Dublin to
London in quest of his pension, was landed here from oue of
the Irish steamers, with both feet nearly destroyed by the in-
tense cold to which he had been exposed, having been nearly
three days at sea, and with rare generosity given his cloak to
a female similarly circumstanced. He was taken to the North-
ern Hospital, Leeds-street. We have since beard he is likely-
to recover.

On Sunday, a man named Shipley, while intoxicated, fell
from the side of a flat in the canal, striking his head on the quay
in his descent. He was taken t6the Northern Hospital. Leeds-
street, where he died a few hours after admission.
A labourer, named Roberts, was dreadfully injured on Wed-
nesday last. He had been attempting to place a support under
the shafts of a cart loaded with hides, in Booth-street, and was
overpowered by the superior curnhent weight; the cart's shaft
struck him over the ankle, forcing the bones through the flesh.
He was carried to the Northern Hospital, Leeds-street.
We understand the Northern Hospital is so crowded with
severe accidents. &c., that numbers of patients are daily refused
admission, its officers being,• ohllgfd to reserve several beds, to
accommodate the severe accidents %%liich are contiuually ocvur-
ing.

LATEST DATES AT LIVERPOOL.
- From Direct. , Indirect. From Direct. Indirect.
Calcutta .. !Oct ....10 Maranham Nov —.25
Bombay.... Oct ....25 N. Orleans Dec. ..13
Mauritius .. Oct ....17. Mobile .. Dec. ..14
Ri,. Janeiro. N0v....11 Savannah . Dec. ..18
Bahia N0v....19. Charleston Dec. ..20
Pernambuco N0v....14 New York. Dec. ..26,

LIVERPOOL AND MANCI- ESTER, RAILROAD.
Times of Departure of the Coach loins for Manchester from
the Railway Station is Lime-street.
FIRST CLASS. • SECOND CLASS.
Seven o'clock. Two o'clock. ftpast Seven. Three o'clock.
Nine o'clock. Five o'clock. Ten o'cloCk. }-past Five.
Eleven o'clock. Seven o'clock. Twelve o'clock. Seven o'clock
N.B.—Corresponding Trains start from Manchester at the same
hours.
On Sundays, the only departures are,—in the morning a Second-
class Train at Seven, and a First-class Train at Eight ; and in the
afternoon, is First-class Train at Five, and a Second-class Train at
half-p ast Five.

GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY FROM BIRMINGHAM
TO LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER.

HOURS OF DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL.
ARIL I,AL AT
FROM BIRMINGHAM. LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER.
h. tn. h. In.
First Class
Mixed
First Class ll 30 .. A. M ..... ... 413 .. r.
First Class
Mixed
First Class
FROM ARRIVAL
LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER.. AT 11 IRMINGHAM.
First Class
Mixed
First Class ll 30 .. /...m ......... 4 ''.o .. P.
First Class
Mixed - .10 15 .. 1..
First Class'
Horses and Carriages should be at the Stations, and booked Half an
hour before the time of starting.

On SUNDAYS the four First Class Trains only. with the addition of
second Class Coaches, will start at the same hours as on the week
days, hut will not take up and set down Passengers at any but the
six principal stopping places.