The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-05 00:00:00

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS.

GENTLEMEN,
QOM E one has publicly addressed you under the ano-
nyrnous s'gnature of " Plain Dealer." From the
whole tenor of his letter, I think I am justified in stating
that he is not one of us, but a Caledonian Shareholder ;
and I challenge him to a disclosure of his real name. If
I am mistaken, and it he, notwithstanding, dislikes pub-
lishing his name and address, let him send them to our
Secretary, with his a,surance as a gentleman, that he
wrote the letter in question, and I shall he satisfied. My
name and address are already communicated to the
Secretary.
I wish I could believe his statement, that the projected
Caledonian Railway would not injure rhe Edinburgh and
Glasgow Ra,lway. But he admits that it is a parallel line
between the two termini at Edinburgh and Glasgow, only
ten miles longer than ours. Farther, hi- cannot deny
(although he is cautiously silent on the subject) that the
Caledonian and Scottish Central Lines will also afford an
independent rival communication, as short as ours, from
Glasgow to Stirling, and thence to the whole North of
Scotland. Such being the case, I think it requites no
argument to prove to you that these two undertakings, if
sanctioned by Parliament, would affect seriously the
prosperity of our undertaking. It seems to me quite un-
necessary for us to consult any neutral Engineer or Agent
on such a subject. Indeed, every Shareholder has now
the admitted farts before and ran judge for himself.
I think, therefore. that " Plain Dealer," in place of writ.
ing an anomrmous letter to you in the Newspapers would
have done better (it he really is one of our number) had
he attended the late Special General Meeting. and sup-
ported his friend Colonel Graham, the Chairman of the
Caledonian Line, who, although he holds only one share
in the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, came to protest
against our proceedings.

Colonel Graham, when at our meeting, intimated his
intention, as he had no supporter there, to endeavour to
stir up opposition among you to the resolution of the
Special General Meetine, and I presume this letter of
" Plain Deakr" is the fir,t advance of the forlorn hope.
The Chairman's circular to }on, and the plan of the Rival
Lines which accompanied it, put matters, however, in too
clear a light to admit of your being misled by any such
attempt.

Plain Dealer," like Colonel Graham, states that the
injury to be inflicted on our Railway is Unintentional
If it were so, toe fact would still be no consolation to us
fur the loss of our money. But how do these gvntlemen
reconcile the unintentional charketer of the injury with the
recent al'eration on the point of divergence of the two
forks recommended by the Commissioners in 1841, the only
object of whch evidently is to shorten the distance between
Edinburgh and Glasgow ?—or with this other fact which
has just now come to light, viz., that in the Parliamentary
Notices of the Caledonian Line, V:ere is a branch intended
to cut off the apex of the triangle near Lanark, and there.
by still farther shorten the distance between Edinburgh
and Glasgow ? When the plans arc deposited next month,
we shall probably find that tlw actual difference of distance
is even less than is now given out.

Tnere already exist, besides the turnpike roads, two
great lines of communication between Edinburgh and
Glasgow—one by the Canals, and the other by Railway.
There is invested in these undertakings about three mil-
lions of trowy. They are pet feet so far as frequency of
opport unities, speed. cheapness, and safety, an. concerned.
In none of these respec's is it even alleged that this new
undertaking will benefit the public ! There being, there-
fore, no advantage guaranteed to the public—there being
no possibility of gain to the promoters of this Caledonian
Railway (for there is not traffic to support the triple com-
petition), can it be expected that Parliament will ever
sanction such an unjust invasion of private property ?
It is superfluous to notice to you the statement of
" Plain Dealer," that there are some of those who are
officially connected with this Railway who are also pro-
moters of tie proposed Glasgow, Dumfries, arid Carlisle
Line. The statement itself is exaggerated, but it is well
fur us that it is even in part true, and I hope the effect of
the intimate union of the two undertakings will be a con
tinuance of the cordial co-operation of all parties against
the common enemy. I beg, however, to state that I my-
self have no connexion whatever with the Glasgow, Dum-
fries, and Carlisle Line, or with any of the other under.
takings named in the preceding letter, excepting your
own.

I shall only notice in conclusion what " Plain Dealer"
has caid as to the map circulated by our Chairman, show-
ing (as he says) an actual connexion between the Edin-
burgh and Glasgow and Ayrshire Railways. It does not
do so. On referring to it you will find that the " con-
nexion" is a dotted line, as are all the other proposed
lines shown on the map. The Glasgow Junction Railway,
however, is meant to connect the termini of these two
lines, and will be before Parliament next session.
1 am, Gentlemen,
Your most obedient servant.
SHAREHOLDER.
Glaxgow, 23d October. 1844. •