England with Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, and with the greater part of Wales, forming a continuous line of railway connecting the important seaports of Liverpool, Hull, London, and Bristol, with the port of Gloucester, and the increasing woollen and other manufactures of the county. That it may be in the route from Ireland to London is not improbable. The estuary of the Severn presents an insurmountable obstacle to any railway from South Wales towards London at any point south of the direction of this railway. Your Directors cannot close their report without reiterating their decided conviction, after a deliberate review of every argument adduced against the measure during the long and arduous contest in Parliament, that the general principles upon which this particular line was originally promoted, were sound and good. Your Directors feel that immediate and energetic measures are necessary to secure the earliest completion of the line to Swindon, against the period at which the Great Western Railway will be completed to that point, which is expected to be opened in the year 1839; and they strongly urge on the proprietors the necessity for their cordial operation and support. It was resolved unanimously, 1. That the report of the Directors now read is in all respects most satisfactory, and be adopted; and that the cordial thanks of the proprietors be given to them for their unremitting attention and exertions, and for the excellent management of the affairs of the Company. 2. That the following gentlemen be appointed Directors of the Company, pursuant to the provisions of the Act: Wm. John Agg, Esq., Edward Barnard, Esq., Devereaux Bowley, Esq., Thos. Crowther Brown, Esq., Raymond Cripps, Esq., Lewis Griffiths, Esq., W. Henry Hyett, Esq., William Lewis, Esq., N. S. Marling, Esq., Charles Stephens, Esq., Henry Norwood Trye, Esq., Joseph Ellis Viner, Esq. 3. That the sum of 800l. be paid annually to the Directors to cover their personal expenses, to be applied in the manner they may consider most eligible and conducive to the interests of the Company; to commence from the passing of the Act. Amendment to the above Resolution, proposed and carried unanimously. That the sum of 1,000l. be substituted for 8001. 4. That the thanks of this meeting be presented to the Right Honourable Lord Wharncliffe, and to the Right Honourable Lord Edward Somerset, for the able and impartial manner in which they presided over the Committees in the Houses of Lords and Commons, during a protracted opposition. 5. That the grateful acknowledgements of the proprietors be given to those Members of Parliament whose regular attendance in the Committees materially promoted the interests of the Company. 6. That the thanks of this Meeting be given to J. K. Brunel, Esq., for his exertions on behalf of the Company, and for his able assistance. 7. That the Directors be requested to print their report, and to transmit a copy to every proprietor, with the proceedings of this day. 8. That this Company are considerably indebted to the able and zealous exertions of their solicitors; and whilst they deeply regret the death of Mr. Griffiths, to whose conduct and character they cannot omit bearing the highest testimony, they tender their thanks to Mr. Lawrence for having so well maintained the interests of the Company. The Chairman having left the chair— Resolved unanimously That the thanks of this Meeting are especially due to Mr. Hyett, for his great and effective exertions in London, during the proceedings in Parliament, and for his able Presidency on this occasion. BIRMINGHAM, BRISTOL, AND THAMES JUNCTION RAILWAY COMPANY. A special general meeting of this Company was held at the City of London Tavern, on Friday, the 14th of October, to consider the propriety of bringing a Bill into Parliament, for extending the line from Kensington-crescent to Knightsbridge-green. The project is one which will prove highly beneficial to the western parts of the metropolis, and, taken in conjunction with the new market, about to be established near the proposed terminus of the railway at Knightsbridge, will be peculiarly so to the districts in its immediate vicinity. The proposition gained the instant assent of the proprietors present, and, upon the draft of the proposed Bill being read, a resolution was unanimously passed that it should be presented to Parliament in the ensuing session. We subjoin the report of the Directors to the Proprietors, recommending the extension of the line:— Report. The convenience which passengers from the north and west of England must derive from a railway transit, continued to the immediate neighbourhood of Hyde Park-corner, has pressed itself so forcibly on the attention of the Directors of this Company, that, after mature consideration of the most eligible line for such a work, of the obstacles as well as facilities which may attend its construction, and of the total expense of its completion, they have thought it their duty to make the following report to the proprietors at large.. It appears, on the most careful examination, that the most eligible line for the objects contemplated, would be from the north side of the Hammersmith-road, through Kensington-crescent, by the open field and garden-ground on the north of Brompton to Knightsbridge-green, which would thus become the terminus of this Company's railway. By this extension, the traveller coming from the Great Western or Birmingham Railways, would be brought to a spacious, open, accessible landing-place, frequented by public conveyances of every kind, and situate within less than half a mile of Piccadilly, instead of ending his railway journey, as he otherwise must end it, at the remoter points of Paddington or Somers-town; and independently of the advantage of this proximity, the Directors are persuaded that a large proportion of travellers would adopt the Knightsbridge route, were it only to avoid the two tunnels which must be encountered by the Somers-town approach. The suggested extension of the line presents peculiar facilities in an engineering point of view. The levels are such as to obviate all difficulty in crossing the roads, while the necessity which the construction of the works will impose on the Company of deepening and straightening the intervening sewers, will materially improve the drainage, and consequently the healthiness of the district. The railway is proposed to be depressed below the general surface, so that either by walls, or by fences, it may be wholly or partially masked, as may best suit the wishes of the proprietors and occupiers of the land which it may intersect. From Kensington-crescent to Montpelier-square, which is within 300 yards of the proposed terminus at Knightsbridge-green, no important obstacle presents itself, as the railway will interfere with not more than three or four houses, and those not of a costly description; and although at and from Montpelier-square to Knightbridge-green itself, the number of buildings to be removed, and consequently the cost of proceeding will necessarily be greater, yet the Directors believe that the whole of this property may be obtained at a moderate rate, some portion of it indeed being already in the market. A very important and favourable consideration is, that for upwards of one-half of the whole length of the proposed extension, the line will pass over the property of Lord Kensington, who is a warm supporter of the undertaking. And, as far as their inquiries have yet gone, the Directors are not aware that any of the owners of the property upon the line are likely to offer any serious opposition. In fact, it will cut through no large property except Lord Kensington's. Proceeding upon the most liberal computation, the Directors are persuaded that a new capital of 75,000l., in addition to the sum which the Company is already enabled to raise, will more than cover the entire expense of purchases, compensations, constructions, and every other contemplated outlay both immediate and contingent; and will put the Company in possession of much property, which daily improving in value, will yield them a considerable in come independent of their tolls. It is proposed to raise this additional capital of 75,000l. by the issue of 3750 new shares of 201. each. On the whole then, after an examination the most attentive and cautious, the Board are unanimously of opinion that there are no difficulties in the execution of the line, as proposed to be extended to Knightsbridge-green, which may not be effectually surmounted, -that the probable cost, compared with the great importance of securing a terminus so close to London, is not such as to make the undertaking a matter of hazard, and that the direct communication which will thus be effected between the whole north and west of England, and the wealthiest of the streets and suburbs of the metropolis, (the communication with the Thames being already secured by the existing Act,) is likely to produce an accession to the revenues of the Company much larger than proportionate to the outlay. The Directors have great pleasure in congratulating the shareholders upon the completion of arrangements with the Great Western Railway Company, by which that Company have agreed to form a station for the express purpose of connecting their line with this railway, and upon the amicable and cordial feeling which subsists on all points with the Great Western as well as the London and Birmingham Railway Company, the present railway forming the sole connecting link of their respective lines with each other, and with the Grand Junction Canal and the river Thames. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure. Dr. Cr. £. 8. d. To Deposit of 17. per Share, on 6,072 Shares 6,072 0 0 To Interest on Exchequer Bills....... By Payments, as per Abstract 5 1 3 6,077 1 3 4,972 5 10 £1,104 15 5 WILLIAM GUNSTON, Chairman. RAILWAY NOTICES. The Brighton Railways.-Every party seems to be busily employed, and strengthening himself by all the alliances in his power, like crafty politicians preparing for a desperate struggle. The candidates for the honour of accommodating the Brightonians amount to five: Mr. Stephenson's, Sir John Rennie's, Mr. Mills's (late Cundy's), Mr. Gibbs's, and Mr. Provis's, starting from the South-Eastern line at Godstone, we believe. The wisdom of our often iterated recommendation to the Legislature last session, to throw out the lines, that a better than either would be found, is now most amply verified. Those who maintained last year that they had the very best which could be found, now say they have far better, and therefore better than the best. Probably, if they were again thrown out, instead of the comparative superlative, another year would find them the superlative superlative, and the Brightonians would be favoured with such a line as the sun before never shone on.-ED. Great North of England Railway. We congratulate our readers, who are shareholders in this great national undertaking, which, by means of its connexion with the York and North Midland, the North Midland, Birmingham and Derby Junction, or the Midland Counties' Railroads, may justly be regarded as the present northern terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway, until the contemplated line from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Edinburgh shall have united the two metropolises by a continuous line of railway, as the Board of Directors for the Great North of England line of railway are already proceeding in the formation of contracts for an economical execution of the work. We also learn, from the best authority, that surveyors have for some weeks past been busily employed in surveying the line through the various estates, preparatory to making purchases.- Liverpool Mercury. Eastern Counties' Railway.-The first general meeting of the shareholders of this Company was held in London on the 26th ult. It appeared from the balance-sheet that the deposits received on 61,676 shares, with interest, amounted to 61,8457. 2s. 9d., out of which the Company have a balance in hand of 25,2837. 3s. 7d. The Chairman (H. Bosanquet, Esq.), stated that there was every probability of the eventual success of the undertaking, and of its being an ample source of remuneration to the proprietors, because it was founded upon the broad and stable basis of national utility. -Birmingham Herald. England and Ireland Union Railway.-On Wednesday last |