The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-18 00:00:00

No. 963.]

&ales', I 3 catution.

TrIIS DAY,

[PRICE FIVEPENCE

Towns and Districts which are approached by the Manches-
ter Birmingham, and the Sheffield and Manchester Railways.
Your Directors, since their address to the Proprietors on
the 28th ulto., have had placed in their hands an old Map of
Manchester, published nearly half a century since, from
which some useful instruction may be derived. At that pe-
riod, Hunt's Bank was to be found at the extreme border of
the town. It is to be found there still. Manchester has
made rapid progress since 1794, but it has not been yid
Heat's Bank. Greatly has the town increased, but it has
been in the opposite direction. The centre of Manchester
has moved onwards from the direction of Hunt's Bank,
towards Store-street. In the Map which the Directors have
prepared to exhibit, with accuracy, the several Railways and
the proposed Junction Lines, they have ordered the old town
of 1794 to he left unshaded; thus exhibiting at a glance, by
reference to the shaded parts, both the extent and direction
in which the increase of Manchester has taken place.
The Directors will now advert to the former proposal of
the Leeds Directors, to submit to the Proprietors of the
Manchester and Leeds Company, with the strongest recom-
mendation of the Board, a proposition to secure to the Pro-
prietors of the Liverpool and Manchester Company, for a
term of veers, in the event of the Hunt's Bank Junction
being forthwith completed, an Annual Dividend of Teri, per
Cent.. upon £1,434,725, the total Capital of this Company.
The Directors are not insensible to the value of a well-
secured permanent Dividend of Ten per Cent. per annum on
their whole capital, if such a proposition could be practically
carried out with due regard to existing engagements, and to
the various interests for which this Company must be consi-
dered Trustees. After the fullest consideration of the sub-
ject, the Directors have no hesitation in stating their convic-
tion, that the greatest if not insuperable difficulties would
attend the attempt to carry such an arrangement into effect;
nor can they recommend to the Proprietors to entertain the
proposal, accompanied by the condition which attaches to it;
for what is its purport ? This Company is required to eons-
plete the Salford Junction forthwith, and then the Leeds
Directors will submit to their Proprietors a proposition and
recommendation to secure to this Company, for a, term of
years, Ten per Cent. on their capital. It is clearly impossi-
ble to entertain such a proposition. Buthad the proposal
assumed a more defined form, and a' peipetual Lease and
Guarantee been offered to your consideration, your Directors
are of opinion that the Parliamentary difficulties would have
been insuperable, arising inevitably out of the conflicting
interests, claims, and petitions of dissentient Proprietors,
Trustees, and Mortgagees, on both Lines. Nor can it be
overlooked, that the several schemes for a Junction of Rail-
ways in Manchester have assumed the character of a public
question ; and that if the sanction of the Legislature be re-
quired in connection with this subject, it can only be expect-
ed on the ground that the measure proposed shall be clearly
calculated to promote the public convenience.
The Leeds Directors remark, that the course pursued by
the Liverpool Company " has hitherto had no other effect
than to give an impulse to the long-agitated scheme of a
Northern Line to Liverpool." They admit, indeed, "the
great advantages'. which the Public have derived by " the
extended facilities given to commerce," by the Liverpool
Railway : and the alternative of " a Northern Line to Li-
verpool," is assumed to be contingent ou the Liverpool
Company " refusing to the inland Railways the means cf
communicating with that Port." Your Directors are willing
to place the question of " a Northern Line to Liverpool"
upon that issue. So far from refusing to the inland Rail-
ways the means of communicatir, with the Port, they trust
it will appear that they have laboured through evil report
and good report, to promote the best possible communication
between Liverpool and the great Railways radiating to the i
interior of the country from Manchester, the common centre.
There is yet another point to which the Directors would
allude before closing this Report. It may be admitted that
the South Connexion Line is the only one which can afford
to this Company a fair practicable communication with the
Manchester and Leeds Line, on the one hand, and with the
Birmingham and the Sheffield Lines on the other; and it
will hardly be disputed, that the connexion between the
Leeds Line and the Birmingham Line is incomparably better
by the Over-ground way from Oldham Road to Store-street,
than by the Inclined Plane from St. George's Road to
Hunt's Bank, and thence by the proposed Tunnel to Store-
street. But it may be urged, that the Manchester and Leeds
Company have already expended some Thirty or Forty
Thousand Pounds in the purchase of Land between St.
George's Road and Hunt's Bank, in conformity with their
present Act of Parliament.
Your Directors, in discussing the comparative merits of
the two Lines, have proceeded. throughout, on the principle,
that the best possible Line for the Railways, and for the
Public, should be selected ; and then, that the several Com-
panies should contribute their fair and equitable proportion
of the whole cost. Under the circumstances of the case, it
may be reasonable that any loss to arise from the re-sale of
Land purchased with a view to the Hunt's Bank Junction,
should be defrayed out of the common purse, and not out of
the funds of the Manchester and Leeds Company. If the
several Railway Bodies, or some high Authority on their
behalf, could determine the particular Line which would best
accomplish the great objects in view, it would be a minor
difficulty, with honourable intentions on all sides, to deter-
mine the proportion of the Cost which each Company ought
to belr. Your Directors have full confidence in the correct-
ness of the views which after mature consideration they have
taken on this question; and in the hope that the other Com-
panies interested will concur in such a course, they have de-
termined to recommend to the Proprietors to consent to re-
fer the great question at issue as to
_the best practicable
set:erne for connecting the several Railways at Manchester to
be settled by the deliberate and impartial award, either of the
Members for the Northern Division of Lancashire, the
Chancellor of the Duchy. or the Board of Trade.
CHARLES LAWRENCE, Chairman.

The following are the Resolutions proposed by the Direc-
tors ; and the same having been moved by J. B. BOOTIIIIY,
Esq., and seconded by J. T. ALSTON, Esq., were adopted
by the Meeting.
Resolved,—
FlnsT,—That this Meeting, having considered the relative
merits of the proposed Junction Lines in reference to the
great object to be accomplished—namely, the best possible
Junction of the several Railways terminating in Manchester,
is of opinion that the South Line via Store-street would con-
stitute the most eligible connexion.
SECONDLY,—That a Junction of Railways in Manchester,
which should combine the greatest practicable amount of ad-
vantage to all parties concerned, would be an important pub-
lic accommodation. .

THIRDLY,—That the Directors of the Liverpool and
Manchester Railway be empowered to open a negociation
with the other Companies for the desired object, with powers,
should it be deemed expedient, to refer the great question at
issue as to the best practicable scheme for connecting the
several Railways at Manchester to be settled by the delibe-
rate and impartial award, either of the members for the
Northern Division of Lancashire, the Chancellor of the
Duchy, or the Board of Trade.
FOURTHLY,—That the Manchester, Bolton, and Bury
Company (supposing the South Line to be adopted) be
afforded every facility for joining the Liverpool and Man-
chester Line, and be included and favourably considered in
any general arrangement for the Transit along the Junction
Lines, of the Traffic to and from each Railway.
C. LAWRENCE,
CHAIRMAN.
The thanks of the Meeting were voted to the Chairman.