The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-03-21 00:00:00

RAILWAY AFFAIRS

LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER, AND NEWCASTLE itme-
TION RAILWAY.—The committee appointed by the
shareholders, on the Bth of last month, have just issued a
report, embodying the result of their investigations.
With respect to the accounts, they state that the hooks
have been well kept ; but that, in their opinion, the legal
and parliamentary charges have been excessive, and the
general expenditure greater than is warranted by the cir-
cumstances of the company. They complain, under this
head, of a loan to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Company as " exceedingly irregular." Of course, no
ultimate loss will fall on the lenders. The present
expenses of the company are put down at £1,070 per
annum. Under the head of " Contracts entered into
with other Railway Companies," the committee go inte
various details. The principal point, however, is a con-
tract entered into last month, with Mr. Hudson, for a
lease of a portion of the line at six per cent. per annum
on the outlay. The York, Newcastle, and Berwick
Railway Company are, further, to send all possible traffic
by the line of this company. This arrangement has not
as yet been sanctioned by the shareholders, nor even by
the directors ; but the committee speak of it in favourable
terms. As to the prospects of the company, they think
that the as abridged, may be executed for one
million, and that it will yield a fair remuneration
to the shareholders. The opinion of Mr. Plews, of
Darlington, and Mr. Allport, two excellent autho-
rities, is adduced in favour of a large traffic in
coal, coke, and other materials. In conclusion, the com-
mittee appear to be somewhat afraid of the influence of
the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company, who hold, it is
stated, nearly 7,000 shares; and that that company should
for the future have the privilege of electing one only .of
the directors. They recommend a suspension of the bill
recently introduced into Parliament for the dissolution
of the company ; but appear to expect very little practical
good until some thorough change is made in the board,
and satisfactory arrangements are established with other
companies. They are of opinion that, till then, "it is
essential for the interests of the shareholders that all
expenditure and liability should be avoided, and all pro-
gress in the line suspended.
On Sunday week on the South Western Railway, near
Basingstoke a guard of a goods train was improperly riding
with the engineer and stoker, when the chain which con-
nects the engine with the tender broke. The guard was
thrown off and killed.
Freehold land is now selling, on what is called Diss
I Common, for building purposes, at the rate of £7O per
acre. Before the railway was made, it was barely worth
I the tillage. _

The South Staffordshire railway proprietors passed the
report and accounts at their half-yearly meeting. The
Birmingham branch has been opened for traffic. A fur-
ther call of £1 10s. has been made payable on the 31st,
five months having elapsed since the last demand on the
shareholders.

THE CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—The passenger traffic
upon this great line of Railway has been considerably
greater—all at once—and at this season of the year—than
could have been anticipated. Last week it amounted to
the handsome sum of £2568 ; and when such a result can
be announced at present, we should not be- surprised to
see it touching £lO,OOO in the course of the summer. :It
is certainly one of the most beautiful and romantic lines of
road in the world.

QUICK WAAL-It is stated in the Parliamentary re-
port that at least seventy railway bills were read a first
time in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Assu-
ming that the reading of each occupied on an average ten
minutes only, eleven hours must have been employed in
the process. Yet we are told that the Houk began busi-
ness at 12 o'clock, and rose at five—a sitting of five hours;,
and during that time transacted a mass of other business.
Well may it be asked, " Ilow can these things be ?"
Were'the bills read, or only their titles ?
From official returns it appears that the amount of
traffic for the last week, on upwards of 3668 miles of rail-
way, was £160,036, thus accounted for :—£73,540 for the
conveyance of passengers only, £44,176 for the carriage
of goods, and a remainder of £42,320 for passengers and
goods together, not respectively apportioned.; being an
Increase of £22,164 over the corresponding week of last
year, when the mileage was 2711. The average earnings
per mile last week were £44. whilst in 1847 they were £3O.
TIM TUBULAR BRIDGR AT CONWAY.—We. bare al-
ready noticed the floating of the first two tubes intended
to form the railway bridge over the river Conway, and
stated that, owing to one of the pontoons coming in con-
tact with a rock on the Conway side of the river, the other
end of the tube could not be got exactly into the place,
which it Aras intended to occupy ; and, consequently, a
temporary support was placed under it, on which it rested
at ebb-tide. It was not until Saturday week that the
tube was floated by the pontoons, and was finally placed
with its two ends resting upon the shelves of ma.sonse
constructed to receive it prior to its being raised to the
elevation at whieb it is intended to be ultimately

and which will be About 15 or 16 feet above the level of
the shelves on which it now rests. The lifting of this
enormous mass of iron, which weighs about 1,300 tons, is
intended to be effected by two hydraulic pressei,: with 18.
inch rams, and pumps ilths of an inch diameter. These
pumps are to be worked by steam engines, which will give
A pressure equal to three tons on the circular inch, or a
total lifting power for each press of 972 tons, which, of
course, will be Amply sufficient for the purpose. Each
press has a lift of sta feet ; and, as the ends of the tube
rise, the masonry which is intended to support them will
-httorried up. izoin .the ehelyes sni which they now refit..