The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-05 00:00:00

MANCHESTER AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY

COMPANY.

Late Meeting at Stafford on the Subject of the Extension
• Railway.
' 23, Bond-street, Manchester, 2d October, 1838.

Sanpears that at a MEETIN G, over which you
presided, held in the Shire Hall, Stafford, on Thursday
last and purporting to consist of Owners of Property and Inha-
bitants, certain resolutions were passed, amongst which are
the following:—
"That this Meeting views with surprise and regret that the
Manchester and Birmingham Railway Company intend to
prosecute their application to Parliament for an extension
of their Railway, from near Stone dgwri the Trent valley to
Rugby, instead of joining the GrartPunction line at Cheb-
sey.
"That regarding such a proceeding on the part of the Com-
pany as a breach of faith towards this town, whose support
they obtained in 1836 and 1837, against the same measure,
when promoted by the South Union Company, this Meeting
feels called upon to oppose the project, as it cannot have be-
come more beneficial or proper by the mere change of the
hands promoting it."
In the former of these resolution it is assumed, that the
Manchester and Birmingham Railway Company do not in-
tend to effect the Junction authorised by Parliament under
their present Act with the Grand Junction Railway at Cheb-
sev, an assumption which the Directors are compelled to
characterise as utterly unfounded.
The latter resolution alleges that the Company in seeking
an extension of their Railway by way of the Trent valley to
Rugby, have broken faith with the town of Stafford. This
imputation the Directors declare to be in like manner un-
warranted by the facts.
It is very much to be regretted that, at a meeting profess-
ing to be called for purposes of inquiry, the discussion should
have been conducted, and the resolutions no doubt prepared,
as they certainly were read, by the Solicitor to the Grand
Junction Company, sent there, not to advance the interests
of the town of Stafford, but to impart a complexion to the
proceedings suited to the partkular views of those whom he
represented. And the Directors conceive that they have just
occasion of complaint, that the influence of your station as
Mayor, should have been given, even in appearance, to pro-
ceedings of an exparte kind, and that, without reference to
or communication with this Company, resolutions have been
passed under your authority misrepresenting their intentions
and reflecting upon their conduct. At the proper time, which
will be before a Parliamentary Committee, the Directors will
be quite ready to meet any charge of breach of faith, by
whomsoever preferred, either as regards their proceedings
with the Grand Junction Railway Company, or with the
town of Stafford. The former, indeed, will do Well to bear in
mind that this Board distinctly imputes to them the very
charge which they make against this Company, in, first, as-
senting to the present line of the Manchester and Birming-
ham Railway through the Potteries and pledging themselves
to assist it, and then, so soon as the Act was obtained and
the fear of a Trent line as thefconceived removed, endea-
vouring to prevent the construction of the Railway which
they had thus pledged themselves to support, by refusing any
and all arrangement with this Company, unless " Crewe"
were their ultimate point.
With respect to the town of Stafford, it has, of course, a
claim to the improved communication with the Potteries and
Manchester, which the line of the Manchester and*Birming-
ham Company holds out, and if it obtain those advantages,
as no doubt it will, this Company will have discharged its
obligations to the borough, not only without aid from, but
against the wish of the Grand Junction Railway Company.
So far from joining in the lamentation of Mr. T. Frith, one
of the speakers at your late meeting, that " with regard to
the manufactures of the place, in case of the projected line
being adopted, Stone would have an advantage over Stafford,"
the Directors of this Company rejoice that the manufactures
of Stone are likely to receive the impulse which the con-
struction of the Trent Railway cannot fail to afford ; and
though the circumstance of a neighbouring town being placed
upon a footing of equality with yourselves, may perhaps
account for (it cannot justify) the hostility of Stafford to the
project, such a fact supplies fresh motives to the Directors
for vigorously pursuing the undertaking, and will no doubt
encourage the public to continue to support it.—l have the
honour to be, Sir,your very obedient servant,
( Signed) ROBT. BARBOUR,
Chairman of the Board of Directors.
To the Mayor of Stafford.